Another Planned Parenthood Lie Uncovered - Despite What They Claim, They DON"T Do Mammograms

Over the last couple weeks one of Planned Parenthood's attempts to divert attention from how they really operate is to scream about how defunding PP would deny low income women access to basic health care, like mammograms. Specificly they say they provide access to basic health care for women who otherwise wouldn't have access to it. & they refer to specifics like mammograms. The impression that they have built up over the years is that their sites actually do them. & the Susan G. Komen Foundation has tried to justify their support of PP by saying that for some women PP is the only place that has programs where poor, uninsured or underinsured women have access to mammograms.

Recently Cecile Richards appeared on Joyce Behar's show to defend PP getting federal funds. (Video of interview @ Jill Stanek's blog.) She starts by claiming that for 60% of the women going to PP thay they "are the only doctor or preventative medical care that they'll ever see all year." Later Richards adds "If this bill ever becomes law, millions of women in this country are going to lose their health care access, not to abortion services, to basic family planning – you know, mammograms, cancer screenings, cervical cancer." (As an aside she tries to downplay the real amount of their business that is abortion.) We have Behar et al presenting PP as the place to go where you will get the mammograms.

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!

It turns out that what PP has been claiming is a clever bit of misdirection. Planned Parenthood calls itself a health care provider. In doing so they paint a picture that says they are the ones providing the services, like mammograms. That is what you usually think of when you hear the term provider. Well, as Jill Stanek recently discovered, all PP does is provide referals for mammograms. That is their entire program. That is what PP means by being a provider, they say they provide access, but it is the same access women already have without PP.

PP has used the claim that no other place provides that service for low income women in the area where they want to open a clinic to justify their opening it. They talk about how far a woman would have to travel otherwise to get the mammograms. & how some women can't travel that far. Well, even with a PP clinic nearby they still have to travel to get the mammogram. The only difference is that they now have a piece of paper from PP with the address on it. & as for women that can't because they are unable to, that piece of paper doesn't provide the much needed transportation, so they are in the same situation as before, except they have that piece of paper with the address to a place they can't get to. & PP uses them to inflate their numbers to make it look like abortion isn't as big a part of what they do.

& the money they get from our tax dollars & groups like Koman goes to pay for the operating of the clinics so that it doesn't have to come out of the money they rake in for doing an abortion.

So, they next time you hear someone defending PP because they provide access to mammograms, ask them what they mean by provide, esp if the person says without PP low income women wouldn't be able to get them in that area. & when they say that the PP site is where they get them, tell them the truth, that PP doesn't do mammograms, just referals. & if they still doubt you, do what Jill Stanek did & tell them to check out PP's website. Better yet, if possible, you take them to PP's website. There they will see in PP's own words what they actually do to provide them: "A staff member at your local Planned Parenthood health center can discuss breast cancer, breast exams, and breast health with you and help you find the services you need." (emphasis mine) Yes, they say "find the service" on their breast cancer screening info page, find NOT provide!!!!!!

Then there is this on their mammogram info page: “Ask your local health care provider, health department, or staff at your local Planned Parenthood center about where you can get a mammogram in your areas.” (emphasis mine) Notice there is nothing about setting up an appointment to geta mammogram at the local PP, just ask them for directions.

So now you know what PP really means when they talk about how they provide access for women to mammograms who otherwise wouldn't have access to them.

& while we are at it, maybe ask Susan G. Komen Foundation as well if this is what they mean by saying PP is the only place that provides these services to poor, uninsured or underinsured women?

Sources: Planned Parenthood's Mammosham
Cecile Richards misleads: Planned Parenthood does NOT provide mammograms
Planned Parenthood Falsely Uses Mammograms to Defend Tax-Funding