Planned Parenthood Does More Than You Realize

Planned Parenthood has been having a bit of a Moment-with-a-capital-M lately — but in response to all the fear-mongering anti-abortion rhetoric and false accusations, the hilariously-named "What The F*ck Has Planned Parenthood Done?" Tumblr has stepped up to the plate to remind us exactly how important Planned Parenthood is. Created by nonprofit group UltraViolet, the Tumblr drives home the fact that, abortions services aside, Planned Parenthood is a crucial healthcare provider to millions of men, women, and anyone in between — something which all those misleading videos would rather not acknowledge. Planned Parenthood does much, much more for the community than just provide birth control, and What The F*ck Has Planned Parenthood Done highlights all the good it does for people nationwide.

The Tumblr collects stories from people around the country who owe their health to Planned Parenthood, from those who use the organization for regular old check-ups to a woman whose doctor at the organization discovered her breast cancer. "But for the timely decisions at Planned Parenthood, I might well not be here today!" she wrote.

"I could not find any other service I could afford when I was in need," reads another post. "Without Planned Parenthood, many do not have anywhere to go."

The situations vary, but one theme remains constant: Planned Parenthood is a vital source of healthcare for people around the country. In fact, for some women, it's the only source of healthcare.

Abortions, which are often at the center of political rhetoric demanding the defunding of Planned Parenthood, comprise only three percent of the organization's services annually. On the other hand, to be fair, some claim that this statistic is misleading because it accounts for services provided rather than the number of patients receiving the services. (Politifact, for instance, estimates that around 12 percent of patients receive abortions.)

Either way you look at it, though, it's clear that the organization is far from the abortion-dispensing machine that anti-abortion advocates make it out to be. Rather, the majority of Planned Parenthood's focus is on preventative healthcare. According to their website, 80 percent of patients receive services to prevent unwanted pregnancy, and the organization provides more than 500,000 breast exams annually.

Statistics aside, the breadth of Planned Parenthood's healthcare services is evident in the What The F*ck Has Planned Parenthood Done? Tumblr. Each post, tagged with the hashtag #StandWithPP, shows how lucky we are that attempts to defund the organization have failed so far.

"As a poor college student, Planned Parenthood was my only source of healthcare," reads one post. Another post describes the organization as "compassionate" and writes that it provided counseling when "there was no one else who would help."

Defending Planned Parenthood is an ongoing battle — it seems like each time one Planned Parenthood scandal dies down, another furor breaks out over the same tired old topic. Despite scandal after scandal, however, Planned Parenthood keeps doing what it does best: Providing healthcare to those in need. Maybe, one day, politicians will realize how important that is.

Check out the full Tumblr here.

Images: Courtesy of What The F*ck Has Planned Parenthood Done?/Tumblr (6)