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Planned Parenthood is trusted, needed

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has proudly provided compassionate reproductive health care to women and their families for nearly a century. Last year, they served more than 80,000 Coloradans, providing life-saving cancer screenings, HIV and STD testing and treatment, birth control and abortions.

On Sept. 22, the Herald published a highly inflammatory letter to the editor from Mickey O’Hare comparing Planned Parenthood to Nazis, serial killers and Ted Bundy. The piece was filled with inaccuracies, mistruths and baseless accusations.

Extremists have vilified PPRM’s work to help women. The Center for Medical Progress alleges that doctors are violating the law. In actuality, the providers in each undercover video repeatedly reiterated strict ethical guidelines and the impossibility of making a profit from tissue donations. The campaign has been categorically debunked by medical professionals, journalists and the experts who analyzed the videos and testified to Congress on their inaccuracy and manipulation.

The organization behind the videos lied to donors, violated tax laws and illegally recorded compassionate, venerable health care providers with the intention of intimidating them out of providing care women need. Their goal is to shut down Planned Parenthood, a trusted organization that provides a range of reproductive health care to millions.

To say that Planned Parenthood, which has submitted numerous op-eds and letters refuting the bogus accusations, has made “no effort to refute” the smear campaign is out of touch with reality.

Comparing Planned Parenthood health center’s compassionate, often life-saving work to Nazis and serial killers is inexcusable. And to claim that the medical community outside of Planned Parenthood can absorb 2.7 million patients when it has unanimously stated otherwise, is dishonest – to say the least.

Defunding Planned Parenthood nationwide would result in millions of Americans losing a trusted and needed provider. This is especially true for young women, rural women and women of color. Furthermore, losing Planned Parenthood would lead to undesirable health outcomes for families across Colorado. I know Planned Parenthood will continue to help all people get the reproductive and sexual health care they deserve because they care – no matter what.

Candice Carson

Durango



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