Why should you pledge? Because they need the money and it is the right thing to do. Pro-life? Well, Planned Parenthood provides more than just abortions....in fact that is just a teeny-tiny minority of what they do. Their mission is to provide education and reproductive health care for all people. Ideally, the education and contraception they provide will prevent unplanned pregnancies in the first place, before they even happen. (Hence the name.) No pregancy=no abortion.

For some women, Planned Parenthood actually provides the only health care they ever receive. They charge for services on a need-based sliding scale. Sometimes, they will even provide service for free. Poor people and students, those who are without insurance, can actually afford care that they wouldn't be able to get elsewhere. Breast and pelvic exams and pap shmears can save lives, but only if you can get them.

How about the sex ed? Shouldn't that be left to parents? I think that ideally, parents *would* be able to teach their kids everything there was to know about sex and sexuality. However, that isn't always the case. For one thing, some parents just don't do it. Should their kids be denied basic information? Should a teenager end up pregnant or with an STD because mom and dad were squeamish? Should someone reach adulthood and go out into the world only knowing what they picked up "on the streets" or from TV? It isn't just teens that need this info. Another thing with parents is that they may not have all the facts. When I was taking the volunteer educators class, we were all suprised at how much we didn't know. We were all grown, educated women, yet we had a good deal of misinformation about contraception, biology, and STD's. Planned Parenthood teaches classes for all ages and social groups. Classes can be for teenagers or classes can be for parents looking to talk to their kids.

You might not agree with every single thing that Planned Parenthood does, but I believe that the net outcome is worthwhile. Thanks.