Our View: Susan G. Komen’s defunding of Planned Parenthood is endangering thousands of women to make a political point.
Susan G. Komen For the Cure is one of the largest organizations dedicated to fighting breast cancer and searching for a cure. Its pink ribbons are a recognized symbol of that fight, and Sooners participate in its Race for the Cure campaign every year. But the foundation’s recent actions have us questioning its leaders’ priorities.
Komen announced Tuesday that it will end its grants to Planned Parenthood, an organization responsible for providing breast health, contraceptive and other vital services to millions of impoverished women.
During the past five years, Planned Parenthood health centers with Komen funding have provided an estimated 170,000 clinical breast exams and more than 6,400 mammogram referrals, according to the organization. The grants totaled about $680,000 last year and $580,000 in 2010, The Washington Post reported.
Komen stated it will no longer provide this money because of a new policy forbidding the funding of organizations under federal investigation. Planned Parenthood is under a controversial investigation spearheaded by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., whose staunch anti-abortion position has led many to question the basis of the investigation.
Planned Parenthood has become the demonized face of the abortion debate and an easy target for political hopefuls trying to energize their conservative supporters. But abortion only accounted for 3 percent of the services it provided in 2010, according to the organization’s yearly report.
Cancer screenings and services, on the other hand, account for 15 percent of its 2010 services — that’s five times the time and resources spent on essential, life-saving screenings and treatment than on abortion. Planned Parenthood offered 830,000 breast exams that year.
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With 75 percent of its services going to individuals at or below the poverty line, it’s safe to say many of those cancer services are going to women with few options. By defunding Planned Parenthood, Komen is reducing the organization’s ability to provide cancer screenings and services to women who might not be able to get them anywhere else.
The decision to do so is clearly politically motivated. Even ignoring the controversy over the federal investigation, it’s difficult to ignore the fact that Komen’s vice president, Karen Handel, ran for governor of Georgia on a platform advocating for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, according to her own blog post from July 15, 2010.
The only good thing to come out of this harmful political stunt is the flood of donations and support for Planned Parenthood. The organization announced Wednesday that it had received $400,000 from an estimated 6,000 online donors since Komen made the announcement.
That is in addition to $250,000 donated by the family of Texas philanthropists Lee and Amy Fikes to start a Breast Health Emergency fund. And on Thursday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would donate $1 for every new dollar Planned Parenthood raised up to $250,000.
Sooners should follow their lead. Komen must be shown it is never OK to put politics over health.
Instead of donating to Komen, donate to Norman’s Planned Parenthood or another local health provider. Urge the Women’s Outreach Center to do the same with the Pink and Black Ball’s proceeds Feb. 11.
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LinnyO 3 months, 3 weeks ago
PP doesn't even do the mammograms. They're just middlemen, why is it so important that Komen pay them instead of partnering directly with the people who can do everything?
"But abortion only accounted for 3 percent of the services it provided in 2010, according to the organization’s yearly report." Abortion actually accounts for a 10% of those served. Furthermore, why does percentage matter? If there was an international aid organization that did a whole lot of good, but happened to kidnap 10% of kids they helped from poor countries and sold them to sweatshops, no amount of "we're giving them a better life" or the other 90% of good they do makes up for that. If 3% of your business, 10%, whatever, is specifically killing humans, it's 10% too much. Also, 3% is based on number of services, not money spent.
"The only good thing to come out of this harmful political stunt " That doesn't have to be true. Consider this: Komen's purpose is to fight breast cancer. A partnership with PP has the benefit of breast exams, but the cost of alienating any potential donors who dislike PP. On the other hand, partnerships with other groups that can do the breast exams, and even mammograms directly, can get the same (or better) benefits, with no costs. If your goal is to fight breast cancer, then getting the largest group of people on board would be the smartest and best choice. If your goal is to support planned parenthood. . .