Joss Whedon made a video to explain why Planned Parenthood is important. In 3 minutes.
Two different outcomes powerfully explain what happens when Planned Parenthood isn't around.
Ever wonder what would happen if the people who want to get Planned Parenthood shut down got their way?
In 2011, Texas cut off most of Planned Parenthood's funding in the state. Planned Parenthood served around 50,000 patients there at the time. The result? One-quarter of publicly funded health clinics shut down. And there was a 35% drop in claims for long-acting birth control. As a result, there was a 30% increase in Medicaid-paid births.
Women in Texas, particularly those in poverty, have seen a significant loss of access to health care services and birth control — which would prevent them from getting pregnant and potentially needing an abortion.
Texas isn't the only state where this is happening. Other states are following in its footsteps.
This powerful three-minute film by director Joss Whedon shows just how much of a difference Planned Parenthood makes in people's lives.
In the video, Whedon ("The Avengers," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog") shows just what the world would look like if those attacks on Planned Parenthood are successful. The film follows three women but shows two different versions of their lives: one where Planned Parenthood provides the family planning and health care they need, and another in which Planned Parenthood is shut down.
Take three minutes and watch it.
Planned Parenthood is a lifeline for millions of people.
4 in 10 U.S. women rely on health centers like Planned Parenthood as their only source of medical care. And the services they provide save us over $10 billion a year.
Women deserve access to safe health care. This is not a bold statement. This is basic common sense.
If you really want to decrease abortions, here's one common-sense way to do it.
All you have to do is copy what Colorado did. The state funded access to education, health services like Planned Parenthood, and long-term birth control access. From 2009 to 2014, teen pregnancy rates plummeted by 40%. And abortion rates plummeted too — by 42%.
Do the math. And share their story. We can't afford to go backward anymore.
You can learn more about Planned Parenthood's video here. And you can learn more about the issues at Planned Parenthood's resources site.