Ethical Dilemma Within Planned Parenthood and Proposed Solutions to the Injustices to Taxpayers and Women

Ethical Dilemma within Planned Parenthood and Proposed Solutions to the Injustices to Taxpayers and Women

Shannon McCullum

        Walden University        

Abstract

The following paper addresses the ethical dilemmas within the non-profit organization known as Planned Parenthood®. A history on the founding of the organization is given as well as pertinent background information on the company. The advance of women’s rights over the past one hundred years will be introduced within the contents. Contributions to women’s health and reproductive health of both men and women can be seen from the mission of Planned Parenthood®, but the way the organization handles this contribution can be seen as unethical to many individuals. As well as the advances, there are major unethical issues, as well as liberty violations, within the organization. As a future public administrator proposed changes of policy to help curb this behavior, from my point of view, will be proposed. Also, how the ethical decision making model would or could potentially effect the implementation of these suggestions will be debated.

Ethical Dilemma within Planned Parenthood and Proposed Solutions to the Injustices to Taxpayers and Women

Planned Parenthood® is a non-profit organization that was founded by Margaret Sanger in October of 1916. Sanger felt the need to open such a center to give women information on family planning through her experiences as a nurse seeing the horrid side of unplanned pregnancies and illegal abortions. Another factor to founding Planned Parenthood® was witnessing her own mother die at an early age from having 18 pregnancies and bearing 11 children. The mission of this organization is to (a) adequately offer contraception and reproductive health care to men and women; (b) provide support for contraception funding and research and in turn be able to keep the public informed of the outcome of the research; (c) develop and improve access to family planning not just in the United States but also around the world. (History and Success, 2014).

There was much opposition to the first clinic that Sanger opened in 1916 with the help of her sister and a friend. This was a time in America when women in this country could not “vote, sign contracts, have bank accounts, or divorce abusive husbands. They cannot control the number of children they have or obtain information about birth control, because in the 1870s a series of draconian measures, called the Comstock laws…….” (History and Success, 2014). It was technically illegal at the time to inform women of family planning information or distribute birth control due to the Comstock Laws. A man by the name of Anthony Comstock, a fighter in the civil war, went to Washington DC to pass a law banning practitioners and private parties to supply women with family planning advice nor supply women with birth control. Coming back from the war Comstock saw the how the people of the town were being ruined by the immoral actions stemming from prostitution, pornography and public advertisements for birth control. Being a very religious man, a very strict Christian, he decided to take matters into his own hands and head to Washington, D.C. to claim back the “purity” he desired for the nation. (“Chastity” Laws, 2001).

In 1872 Comstock set off for Washington with an anti-obscenity bill, including a ban on contraceptives, that he had drafted himself. On March 3, 1873, Congress passed the new law, later known as the Comstock Act. The statute defined contraceptives as obscene and illicit, making it a federal offense to disseminate birth control through the mail or across state lines. (“Chastity” Laws, 2001).

Even though the women were all arrested this did not deter Sanger from having a voice for women and their rights over their bodies. Eventually Sanger got laws changed and there was a view that family planning was essential to medicine. It was no longer viewed as “obscene” for a women to seek out advice on family planning or to obtain information birth control methods.

        Since Planned Parenthood® was founded there have been many ethical questions about the organization raised. First off, it is a state and federally funded organization that operates worldwide. Part of the taxpayer’s money was used for funding of Planned Parenthood® operations, prescriptions and abortions. “….according to its new Annual Report 2012-2013, and about 45% of that revenue--$540.6 million--was provided by taxpayer-funded government health services grants.” (Boland, 2014). There is a cry from Conservatives and religious organizations that the government is using their hard earned tax dollars to support and carry out murder, due to their belief that conception is the beginning of life.

Planned Parenthood is, according to its own statistics, the largest provider of abortions in the US with over 300,000 per year.  Needless to say, this has caused cries of protests from pro-life Americans, who object to the fact that they are forced against their moral beliefs to fund the abortion giant. (Scholl, 2011).

The ethical dilemma is that Planned Parenthood®, with taxpaying citizen’s tax dollars, is not teaching the young women and men of the nation about abstinence, the dangers of, or what is right and wrong when it comes to birth control, sexual intercourse or sexuality.

There is no dialog from Planned Parenthood® about abstinence or the dangers of sexual intercourse to the youth of this nation.  Instead, Planned Parenthood® is allowing young women to be placed on birth control without the consent of the parent, and allowing these same young women to undergo abortions, as well, with no consent. In most states, it says that a parent or guardian has to give permission to proceed with an abortion, but this requirement can be waived by a judge. “………your state may require one or both of your parents to give permission for your abortion…..In most states with these requirements: You can ask a judge to excuse you from getting permission or telling your parent or guardian.”(Parental Consent and Notification Laws, 2014). Instead of involving the parent(s) in the most delicate situation a young woman and young man can be in, the organization is just allowing them to get rid of the problem with no input from the parent(s).

Abortions and being on birth control can be dangerous, major complications and short/long term effects can occur from these procedures and/or medications. One of the methods of abortion is through a pill. It is referred to as the at home abortion method. This method as well as the birth control pill have the following risks associated with them. Some of the short and long term repercussions from birth control are listed below.

Cancer, blood clots, autoimmune disease, heart attack, stroke, future fertility problems, depletion of nutrients, decreased bone density, gallbladder disease, poor milk production, impaired sexual drive, decreased sexual enjoyment, depression, P.M.S., severe mood swings, feeling of being less desirable to men, impaired partner selection, high blood pressure, yeast infections, candida prevalence, vaginitis, nausea, trouble sleeping, weight loss/gain, tender breasts, acne, headache and hair thinning. (Risk of Hormonal Birth Control, n.d.). 

The negative effects from abortion are not discussed in depth with patients and in most cases it is a one way discussion in favor of abortion. ““…..description of the risks that have been associated with abortion: Pelvic Infection, Incomplete abortion, Blood clots in the uterus, Heavy bleeding, Cut or torn cervix, Perforation of the uterus wall, Anesthesia-related complications, Rh Immune Globulin Therapy, Future childbearing.” (Abortion and Pregnancy Risks, n.d.).

Take for example, myself. At the age of 21 I found myself pregnant, getting the positive result from a physician at an undisclosed Planned Parenthood® location. I was young, single and scared. The first words out of the physician and nurse were “You have options, the best one being abortion”. After expressing I did not want to have an abortion I was still pushed with information on the subject and given no resources on adoption, prenatal care or parenting.

Planned Parenthood’s reports shows that over the last few years, abortions have increased while adoption referrals have decreased. The ratio of abortions to adoption referrals in 2007 was 62 to 1; in 2008 it was 135 to 1; and in 2009 that ratio dramatically increased to 340 to 1. (Scholl, 2011).

In my personal case, it went so far as the physician called in a prescription for the abortion pill, informing me that I could pick it up later if I changed my mind on the subject. Not once during the conversation was the danger of having an abortion discussed, but the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth were heavily included into the dialog. Planned Parenthood® does off a multitude of other service besides abortion, but this is their money maker. “The remainder of its funding comes primarily from private contributions and health center incomes, with anywhere from $100-300 million from abortions.” (Scholl, 2011).