Planned Parenthood is in danger. For millions in the United States, including students like us, Planned Parenthood provides many valuable resources for sexual health and wellness, as well as means of contraception and tools for overall wellbeing.

In this day and age, people young and old; students, workers, and the lower class American people look to these clinics as a means for health and wellness in a time where health insurance and money runs dry.

For men and women of all ages, Planned Parenthood has been a beacon for education as well as empowerment for a long time.

According to Planned Parenthood: “For more than 90 years, Planned Parenthood has promoted a commonsense approach to health and well-being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning.”

But the United States Capital Building and some of the ignorant, loathsome politicians within its walls are breaking down this American institution. And it is for one reason and one reason only: Abortion.

The conservative, right-wing dominated House of Representatives recently voted on an amendment to block funding to Planned Parenthood based off of the idea that the federal funding allotted to them is used to provide abortions to women who request it. 

All the while, the real mission of Planned Parenthood is to inform, educate, and to provide valuable services to people who can’t afford to get them elsewhere on their own. These services include Sexually Transmitted Infection screening and treatment, Cervical and Uterine cancer screenings, family planning, counseling, and sexual, reproductive and general healthcare for both men and women. Most of these services are free of charge or only cost a small fee as compared to going to a regular doctor’s office and having to pay much more.

And yes, while they provide and refer women who choose abortion; they, by law, do not use taxpayer’s money to do so.

But a handful of politicians are defending Planned Parenthood.

New York Rep. Jerry Nadler (D) said that the amendment was a “bill of attainder”.

“I hear that we must punish Planned Parenthood by defunding them because they’ve committed a number of sins; sin No. 1, they are large abortion providers, even though none of those abortions are paid for by the federal government,” Nadler said.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D) of California, bravely and boldly spoke out in defense of Planned Parenthood. After relaying her untold story of a failing pregnancy, and the hard decision of aborting the pregnancy to congress, she went on state the evils of the bill.

“Planned Parenthood has a right to operate. Planned Parenthood has a right to provide services for family planning… This is a vendetta against Planned Parenthood,” said Speier.

To shut down and deny proper money to such an institution is an outrage.

By denying proper funding, Planned Parenthood can no longer provide proper contraception to those who are sexually active, possibly resulting in higher, unwanted pregnancy rates. They can no longer educate adolescents and young adults on sex, sexual reproduction, and sexual health, possibly resulting in higher STI rates and unwanted pregnancies. They will no longer be able to provide men and women with proper sexual health tests and screenings as well as treatments for those who cannot afford it, again resulting in higher STI rates, as well as Cervical and Uterine cancer rates and other sexual health problems.

For the people who utilize these clinics for diabetes, cholesterol screenings, vaccinations, smoking cessation, physicals, and for basic health needs and services; they will either have to look elsewhere, or for millions of Americans who can’t afford it, go without healthcare altogether.

Overall, this action by the House is uncalled for, illogical and unnecessary. It is an attack on what little help we as Americans can get in these turbulent times.

What goes on behind closed doors in terms of reasoning behind this fiasco is shadowy at best. Some theories may point to the fact that it could possibly be something corporate, boosting cash flow towards certain insurance and healthcare special interests; or it could be religious, blindly and ignorantly crying foul to the freedoms people are constitutionally and morally afforded, giving them the options to choose what they do with their own bodies.

But what is known is that these services cannot, and will not be stopped.

For those millions in need of basic healthcare and utilize planned parenthood clinics for such, denying this service is morally, ethically and civically wrong and we as free and just Americans cannot stand for it.

To stand with millions of Americans in support of Planned Parenthood and other free clinics, please go to www.PlannedParenthoodAction.org, or write to your congressperson and senator expressing your support to keep these and other crucial and much-needed health clinics open and funded.

This editorial is the collective opinion of the Student Voice Editorial Board.