Why the hate?

I've been seeing a lot of Planned Parenthood hate as of late (haha, that rhymed). Mostly from the pro-life camp, and while I understand the beef, I think it's a tad extreme to say that PP should be closed, lose their funding, stuff like that. And no, this isn't an abortion debate, because that ship has sailed and I don't think the legality of it is going anywhere. Pointless to argue.

Let me say something about myself before I dive into this. I'm INCREDIBLY lucky in many respects. I have an understanding mother who helped me find a gynecologist, use her insurance, and learn about contraceptives without questioning my motives. She's a great mom in that respect. I also have a great boyfriend who respects my worries about pregnancy and even shares them. Thanks to these great people, and thanks to my dad who's awesome at ignoring everything woman-related, I actually have proper access to birth control and health care. I know where babies come from and I know how to not have one. I'm comfortable enough with sex that I can talk to my boyfriend about sex-related things. I'm not really ashamed of it so I'm able to ask my doctor questions. I have, in most respects, de-stigmatized sex and contraception for myself, which, considering my early adolescence, is amazing in itself.

But I also know all too well how unusual my case is. Most women in my age range are ashamed of their bodies, ashamed of sex, have restrictive parents, or don't have the insurance they need for health care and birth control. Let me tell you something. Say what you will about Planned Parenthood, but they are the reason these girls can be healthy. Because, let's face it. Sex is great. Just about everyone wants to have sex, and most people will have sex before they turn 20, no matter how much anyone tries to stop them. But sex also comes with inherent risks, as do most things. The trick it, however, to know what these risks are, and to have a way to deal with them. THAT'S what makes sex safe. The reason I support the existence of Planned Parenthood is that it knows that, and it knows that there's nothing wrong with having sex, and that everyone should have access to proper care.

I've heard it curtails laws, but when you're in southern Texas, want to sleep with your sweet, caring boyfriend, and don't want to get knocked up, the law shouldn't prohibit that in the first place. If a prostitute doesn't want to contract an STD, she shouldn't have to just for being a prostitute. Prostitution shouldn't even be illegal, but that's a story for another day. The law has made it so PP HAS to sneak around it in order to get women the care they need. And that's sad, in my opinion.

So say what you will about Planned Parenthood's practices, but the fact is that they're a godsend to women all over the country. I think sexual health is a double-edged sword for women; people seem to want to make it so that women don't have access to knowledge about sex or contraceptives, and then they want to make it difficult for women to get the help they need when they run into problems because of that. I think it's unfortunate, and I think that sex and sexual health need to have their stigma removed so that women can lead healthy lives. Planned Parenthood really is the first step in that, and for that I say, DON'T FUCK IT UP AMERICA.