There is a huge controversy roiling PP about whether it should continue to receive federal funding. I say not. But that point aside, it has mounted the usual defense to deflect from its abortion services, sexualizing teenagers in its “sex education” services, and covering up of potential incest and statutory rapes of underage girls, which critics believe should cause the government to let the organization make it on its own dime.
One claim made on television in defense of federal funding, by its president, Cecile Richards, was that PP provides mammograms, and thus, cutting the federal money artery will harm women by denying them proper cancer screenings.
Big mistake. Apparently PP does not actually provide the mammograms. Lila Rose, who has been on a sting campaign against PP checked it out. From the advocacy video:
That still didn’t feel right to me. So I did a Google search. I went to the PP Website. Then under the heading “Health Info and Services,” I found “Mammograms.: I hit the link: Here is what it said:
Where Can I Get a Mammogram?
Ask your health care provider, health department, or staff at your local Planned Parenthood health center about where you can get a mammogram in your area.
So, PP does not provide mammograms.
I won’t accuse Richards of lying. She might have misspoke—although that seems a bit hard to believe—or corrected herself after the quote—the video sure cuts off the conversation abruptly.
But this much is clear: PP provides very general information about mammograms and will tell women where they can be obtained. But, it does not offer the screening itself. Big Diff, and certainly not a justification for federal funding. Fact check!
