Planned Parenthood Offers Birth Control As Holiday Gift

INDIANAPOLIS — At the Planned Parenthood of Indiana, 'tis the season of giving health care and contraception. But it's a sentiment that opponents of abortion and artificial birth control say denigrates the holiday season.

The network of 35 clinics across the state announced it is offering holiday vouchers for basic health care services "or the recipient's choice of birth control method."

The organization decided to offer the vouchers because so many people are uninsured or are putting off health care because of prohibitive costs, said Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana. Nearly 800,000 Indiana residents don't have health insurance, she said.

Planned Parenthood's annual exams for women, which include Pap tests and breast exams, typically cost $58. The vouchers can be used for the exams, but also for insurance copays and for medication.

Opponents of abortion said Planned Parenthood was making a "mockery" of the holiday season.

"The tragedy is that almost 6,000 fewer children will be celebrating a first Christmas this year because they were aborted in Planned Parenthood's Indiana clinics," said Mike Fichter, president and CEO of Indiana Right to Life.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana operates abortion clinics in Indianapolis, Merrillville and Bloomington.

"They deserve coal in their stocking, not money for lethal gift certificates," said Sister Diane Carollo, director of the Office for Pro-Life Ministry for the Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

But Cockrum said the vouchers were about giving basic health care, and potentially lifesaving care.

"Birth control is the best way to avoid unintended pregnancy. Avoiding unintended pregnancy is the best way to reduce abortion" rates, Cockrum said. She added that her organization performs abortions on only about 5,000 of the 92,000 patients it sees annually.

The vouchers could be applied to the cost of an abortion. "I certainly don't think anyone would consider giving it for that purpose," spokeswoman Kate Shepherd said.

The organization dispenses more than 500,000 units of birth control each year including pills, condoms, diaphragms, spermacides and morning-after pills, she said.

Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe applauded the idea, calling it a "really a meaningful gift."

Spokeswoman Diane Quest of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America said the Indiana branch is among a handful of its 99 affiliates that currently offer gift certificates or have done so in the past.

The gift certificates can be purchased in increments of $25 online or for any dollar amount at some Planned Parenthood of Indiana health centers.

___

On the Net:

Planned Parenthood of Indiana: http://www.ppin.org

Comments

[45245]

01:26 AM on 12/01/2008

America needs to bring the shock factor back. If a 13 year old girl is pregnant, it is not a reason to throw a party the age of consent has not been reached and society will judge. Your kid tattoos his/her body beyond belief society will judge. Body pierce your face society will judge. A felon is released on to society depending on the crime where he/she can live and work is judged. If you are on welfare for an extended period of time society will judge. Your son wants to marry his boyfriend this not a happy occasion. Until recently it was illegal. Society will judge still.

More things that society judges to be aberrant, wrong, illegal or just plain bizarre, less people will go down that path. Society is kept in check. Peer pressure can be good.

[shutdown]

01:18 AM on 11/30/2008

Do I get a free Lancome Bag if my purchase exceeds $75?

[NoSillyName]

08:43 PM on 11/29/2008

"... Betty COCKRUM, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana."

LOL, you can't make this stuff up.

[NoSillyName]

08:38 PM on 11/29/2008

Dear Planned Parenthood,

I'm sure you do a great job of preventing unwanted pregnancy. You sure did that for me; you gave me an IUD that caused me to be sterile.

Sincerely,

Any woman given the Dalkon Shield.

[whit4brains]

11:23 PM on 11/29/2008

Did they hold you down and force you to use this product? No. So I think your argument is with the manufacturer of the IUD not PP. But if it makes you feel better to blame your condition on an organization instead of your own choice to use a product than so be it.

[AtomiClash]

05:01 PM on 11/30/2008

Yeah, wow. Not their fault.

[Vixter]

02:44 PM on 11/29/2008

What a fantastic idea. I was wondering what to give a friend for Christmas, and this is perfect. Women with no insurance can get their pap smears, mammograms, etc. at PP at a greatly reduced price than you can from a gyno.
PP helped a friend in high school. She realized that her severe cramps were the result of a tumor the size of a grapefruit, which was then removed. PP had her notify her parents so that the operation could be performed. Glad to say that she is now married with 2 kids, which may not have been possible if not for PP.

[OtayPanky]

12:22 PM on 11/29/2008

These people are putting the SE back in XMAS.

Now just wrap up a couple of sex toys and have yourself a very Merry Sexmas indeed..

[lisakaz2]

03:35 PM on 11/29/2008

Funny but I must say that's not how I think about a Pap test or a mammogram.

[Retrofuturistic]

11:27 AM on 11/29/2008

If someone would abort a baby, it means they would rather abort the baby than put it through pain in its life. It means they are unable to nurture it; therefore, they should not have it.

[Progress08]

10:17 AM on 11/29/2008

Can PP make sure that republicans get the majority of these "gifts"? We all know how prone they are to unintended teen pregnancy (and of course preying on 16 year old boys). At the very least we can help prevent republicans from breeding because the last thing we need is more of them around.


Bob Barker had it wrong, he should've said; "Remember folks, be sure to spay and neuter your republicans."

[whit4brains]

11:25 PM on 11/29/2008

LOL!

[CR46]

09:40 AM on 11/29/2008

Am I missing something here? Now the rightwing "christians"?! are against family planning??? I'm willing to bet most of their wives are on the pill and they don't know it!!! As a married woman w/2 children and 2 grandkids, my husband and I have used birth control for most of our marriage(except for the 2 times we tried to conceive). And I have gotten healthcare exams every year!!! I must be a horrible person according to these "self proclaimed christians".

[OutsiderSA]

10:22 AM on 11/29/2008

Unless you see organ pipe replica's following the parents aka quiver full - they are using contraception or they are really lucky, say 2-3 kids:P

[lisakaz2]

03:39 PM on 11/29/2008

You're not missing anything. A rising number are against family planning, hence that new "rule" for clincs to refuse filling birth control pill requests. Their problem stems from the Griswold v. CT decision involving privacy; that legislation overturned a law making access to birth control illegal. Griswold had opened a PP clinic in CT. They have to undo that ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade so they can make both things illegal.

[helonias]

09:09 AM on 11/29/2008

Every sperm is sacred

Every sperm is great

If any sperm get wasted

God gets quite irate

[Progress08]

10:13 AM on 11/29/2008

I'm sorry we've got to sell some of you for medical experiments.

[jesselee26]

10:44 AM on 11/29/2008

nobody says it quite like monty python.

[jesselee26]

08:33 AM on 11/29/2008

jeez, i read some of these posts, and it seems a lot of people have a huge problem with birth control of all things... it's so nineteenth century.

i knew planned parenthood had a bad wrap with the right wing... but essentially, making basic healthcare affordable for women who would otherwise not have access to it, shouldn't be such a controversy, should it? it's not like they're talking about free abortions. if planned parenthood finds a way to offer services to women on a one time only basis for free, its a credit to them. and it pokes holes in all the crap the health care industry has been feeding our nation about the cost of healthcare and why only rich people deserve it. and on top of that, it maybe introduces a whole new bunch of women to a program that help them afford birth control for the long haul. instead of first stepping into a clinic because they need an abortion.

the fact remains if you don't have birth control and access to it, you have more abortions. if you don't allow either you have the third world.

[realityczech4u]

06:56 AM on 11/29/2008

Denigrates the season???? Nah. Give your kid a pack of rubbers. They make great stocking stuffers.

[helonias]

09:06 AM on 11/29/2008

Ask Sara and her pregnant teen

[Progress08]

10:13 AM on 11/29/2008

stuffing stockings is the root of the problem

[OutsiderSA]

06:08 AM on 11/29/2008

Someone also mentioned the possibility of infertility with the use of the pill. That is plausible but my wife conceived withing the 1st month for both our children when she stopped the pill, that was in her late twenties.

Some career woman wait till their 30's and IMO that may be too late.

There are of course other options like tying fallopian tubes which can be undone and of course vasectomies which too can be reversed (sometimes) These are radical measures and the risk of sterility here is higher.

No one should dictate to others their reproductive rights or choices.

[BrookLynn]

09:37 AM on 11/29/2008

It is a free country and people have the right to stand up against abortions especially late term abortions.

[OutsiderSA]

10:14 AM on 11/29/2008

I hear you. I seriously doubt those that have to have late term abortions do so as a first choice. I cannot see women after 4 months still having abortion as a viable BC up to the 8th month, most have made up their minds by 4 months.

Stats show only about 2000 PBA's are performed and of those, we really do not have all the data as to why.

When these protester demonstrate alternate options such as providing care and/or help post birth, then I will be OK with said protests.

Ironically, most infer, life begins at conception and ends at birth.

[boycottrightwingthings]

07:57 PM on 11/29/2008

And it is a free country for WOMEN only when they have adequate birth control to prevent pregnancy, and a choice to not become or to become a mother when they find out that they are pregnant, sometimes when they don't want to be. You can't force a woman to be a mother when she doesn't want to be one, or to carry a fetus to term and then give it away to someone like she was a breed mare for someone else's convenience. Standing up against someone else's abortion is really NONE of your business. I suppose your kind wants to go back to the days when poor women had no choice but to risk death to an illegal back alley abortion, while rich women could get on a plane and fly anywhere abortion was legal and have a safe one. NICE.

[dlvme2]

04:42 AM on 11/29/2008

People seem to read into things what they want them to say. This is NOT a certificate for an abortion or supporting it - it is a certificate that can be used for a Pap exam, mammogram - general female wellness programs that all women need and many cannot afford. Your taxes do not pay for it, BUT if mine did I would gladly contribute because prevention of diseases costs less than treating the disease. Also if a woman or girl needs medication or birth control pills she can use the certicate for that. Why does everything have to be evil? It is not - they are not promoting abortion. They are only promoting women's health. If you are not for the service fine - do not use it, but it is great for those that may need a yearly checkup or other service. Everyone seems so quick to judge.

[OutsiderSA]

03:53 AM on 11/29/2008

@45245

Teen Child: Hey dad, I want to have s-e-x with my b/g-friend

45245: No you can't

Teen Child: OK

Teen child does it anyway.

It is ridiculous to intimate parental consent to s-e-x. Get real.

Our hor-mones make us seek out a mate and experiment with s-e-x. PP just makes teen (unwanted) preg-nancies a viable option until they young are able to think and/or take care of offspring.

We do not live according to goat herder traditions of 2-3000 years ago from the middle east.

Most xians practice contraception anyway so their arguments are moot wrt to others who may not share their "moral" sentiments.

[mombabytiger]

01:45 PM on 11/29/2008

Christians don't have any objection to birth control. They have a problem with PP because it is perceived as an abortion provider. This is a PR problem for PP. No one associates them with womens health issues - people associate them with abortion. If that's not true, then it is their responsibility to be more informative.

[Vixter]

02:29 PM on 11/29/2008

I think you have it backwards. PP has been saying for years that they give pap smears, mammograms, etc. but most right-wingnuts hear the word abortion and their minds shut down. It is up to the people who are ranting against PP to educate themselves before opening their mouths.
I feel the same way whenever I see the bumper sticker that says "Adoption not Abortion" - I want to ask that person "How many children have YOU adopted?"

[lisakaz2]

03:45 PM on 11/29/2008

Apparently you have not paid much attention because increasingly birth control objections HAVE been made. The lastest "rules" issued by this WH allow for workers to object to it so patients cannot get birth control. Then there are pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions for 'em. You need to do some looking around.