A recent article by the Dallas Morning News claims that Republican leaders are trying to “bludgeon” Planned Parenthood against the will of voters. But the reality is that many women who have gone to the abortion industry for care – like myself – are some of the most vocal proponents of defunding the abortion provider.
Unfortunately, I succumbed to society’s lies and the devaluing of women in the abortion industry at 21 years old. My post-abortion follow-up appointment at Planned Parenthood was no more than 15 minutes, not counting the 30 minutes past my appointment time in the waiting room and then another 15 to even see the doctor. Planned Parenthood treated me like a number toward their quota.
After I had answered her questions and she ensured I was no longer pregnant, the Planned Parenthood clinician referred me back to my regular gynecologist for contraception and any further care I may need. The doctor was nonchalant about whether or not I would choose to use contraception in the future. And Planned Parenthood provided no education about contraception failing, even though I – along with a shocking percentage of women obtaining abortions – was on birth control when I got pregnant. [Editor’s Note: For more on the dangers and abortifacient properties of hormonal birth control, see this article.]
Nor did Planned Parenthood provide any education about the effects the abortion could have on me (it turns out there were many, and they were severe). There were no counseling options.
After many years of heartache and more poor choices I made as I suppressed my grief following my abortion, I now work in the pro-life world. As an employee of one of the fastest growing pro-life non-profits in the nation, Human Coalition, I use my past and my voice to be a voice for the children lost to get the Planned Parenthood monster defunded.
If Planned Parenthood is all about “empowering women,” caring for women in need, or educating and training women, then why was I pushed out the door before I could even ask any questions? And I am not an outlier, a singular example of Planned Parenthood misogyny and profiteering. Former Planned Parenthood managers have confirmed that my experience of sub-par care and being ushered through the business quickly is Planned Parenthood’s business model.
Like me, women like Jocelyn and Anya have been betrayed by Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, and countless other women carry their heartbreak silently because they have not been empowered to speak out for themselves and their children. If we knew how many women and families carried the overwhelming grief of abortion in silence, the number would be paralyzing. It has become my mission to change that – to rally the voices of women whom the abortion industry has tried to silence – and end the barbaric, anti-woman practice of abortion in America once and for all.
