Planned Parenthood Saved Me And My Life

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With the ongoing controversy about Planned Parenthood, I think it’s about time for our generation to speak up. What does this issue mean to us? Has it helped, hurt or done nothing for girls today? If you ask me, personally, I’d say that Planned Parenthood gave me my life back – no fear of the future or dredging up of the past.

Some states teach about safe sex, some tell us not to have sex, and some like my high school basically avoided the topic as much as they legally could. However, I knew better then to have unprotected sex, unlike some of my friends (how did they get so lucky?) so I never had sex without a condom because that’s the smart thing to do. I know what your thinking – birth control. You’re right, that’s the really smart thing to do, but for me I just couldn’t. Not for moral reasons or medical problems, but it flat out made me a huge bitch. No joke.

So after realizing I couldn’t deal with my bitchy self any longer (and my boyfriend dumped me) I got off the pill. Two years later – I was 19 at the time; I started talking to a boy. We took it so slow and it was perfect and then finally the night came where we decided to sleep together. It seemed perfect and everything was falling into place. *We used a condom!*

Until… Two months later I kept getting sick, only to realize I didn’t remember if I had my period and the classic load of anxiety that comes with it. So while on my Thanksgiving break, pretending to be sick to my family, I went to a Planned Parenthood in town. They did another test and confirmed that I was about six weeks pregnant. As the nurses coaxed me through the different options I already knew what I had to do. I couldn’t have a baby, I made minimum wage at a food service job, my boyfriend had no job and we were both in school.

Many people think this is a selfish decision, and you’re right, it is. Yes, it was my selfish decision, but with all the pressure as a college student and people saying we aren’t just stay at home moms, we work and we’re as successful as men. Well that makes it hard to know what to do, but I already knew. I knew he wasn’t the one for me, neither of us wanted a kid, and honestly he was so relieved to hear that, it only confirmed my decision. I didn’t make this decision for just me though, I made it for the kid who was going to grow up with an unhappy, stressed out mother and I didn’t want that.

Misconceptions about Planned Parenthood:

  1. It is NOT always free. I paid the $500 for a procedure that would make my life normal again. Therefore not your tax money that was used because I could afford it. (I know this isn’t always the case, but its not always “bad” people that get help here.)
  2. Most often abortion procedures are done in the luxury of your own home. You can take a pill at the office, then 24-48hrs later you take another. This breaks down the tissues etc. and you pass it AT HOME
  3. They are not malicious people. I was cared for and felt more comfortable there than in any doctors, dentists or any other offices ever. They make sure this is what you want, they provide support ask if you need any type of therapy sessions

With all the controversy going on about Planned Parenthood, I don’t have proof that they didn’t do these things, but I do know that’s not what happened with me. This may just be one story, but it’s a story that hasn’t been told, until now. Abortion is a sticky issue and normally I don’t enter the conversation for fear my blood will boil and I’ll start yelling at the people who don’t see the good in this place.

Just think – If I had kept the child, I would have refused to give it up for adoption, because well it was mine. This means a poor nineteen-year-old student would’ve had a child and probably would’ve gone on welfare. Basically taxes suck and no one likes paying for other peoples crap, but hey were going to do it regardless of if Planned Parenthood ever gets shutdown or not, so may as well deal with it now and let people make this choice for themselves. It is their life to live, not anyone else’s.