My body, the government's rules

Every news outlet seems to be talking about the Planned Parenthood case and the fake video that started this whole issue.

In the video, a person described as the Senior Director of Medical Services, Deborah Nucatola, is sitting with an unidentified individual talking about how to keep a deal under the radar. They also discuss prices for body parts and which ones are most wanted, like hearts and lower limbs which will be sold for nodes and muscle tissue. This video which has been labelled as a hoax from anti-abortion groups was made to fool people into thinking that Planned Parenthood doesn't need to be government funded and that what they are doing against the law. This worked against Planned Parenthood trying to receive more money to help those who can't afford the necessities of women's healthcare, which most of their money goes to.

The claim that they use the government funding to pay for the abortions they conduct is contradicted by the fact that the cost of an abortion is around $500 for the pill and around $1500 for the in-clinic abortion. Recent news about Planned Parenthood being defunded in Louisiana and Texas makes me worry that it will come to a point where it is difficult for any woman to receive affordable reproductive care.

I don't think Congress understands the way their choices affect others. If they defund abortion clinics, the price for an abortion will rise immensely making it too pricey for low and middle class women to afford. This forces them to make a choice between having a child they aren't ready for and possibly losing their job, or paying the price for the abortion and not having enough money to pay for necessities.

Anti-abortion groups state that women who get abortions are killing life and therefore it's murder. These women "decided" to have sex and it is their fault for getting pregnant. In my experience, shaming people until they come to agree with you doesn't work too well. What if they were a victim of sexual assault and having this child is a constant reminder of what happened to them? Or that a woman needs an abortion because this pregnancy can end her life? There are many women who struggle with the decision of getting an abortion and there are methods to help them cope with getting one.

With Congress defunding health care in low income areas that help provide birth control, low cost breast exams and abortions, they make it difficult for women who aren't able to afford this. As a woman, hearing statements like "legitimate rape" from Representative Todd Akin or "that if a woman has the right to an abortion, why shouldn't a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist's pursuit of sexual freedom doesn't (in most cases) result in anyone's death" said by House Representative Lawrence Lockman.

As a victim and survivor of sexual assault, hearing these quotes from those in office bothers me. These quotes make me feel like it is my fault I was raped and that I should just accept what is happening and enjoy it. That I probably led him on and didn't make my intent clear. Although I didn't end up pregnant, if I had and couldn't afford to get an abortion, I would have to deal with the only choice of being pregnant during high school and giving it up for adoption. The mental support that I would need, I wouldn't be able to access, and it could come to the point where ending my life would be the best solution instead of seeing things get better. It took me years to accept what happened to me and it is still hard to talk about this publicly. The suffering of women should not be because of the ignorance of those who don't understand the complications that come with it.

This is the reason why institutions like Planned Parenthood need to be supported. Without the care they provide to women like us, many would either have to raise a child they aren't ready to raise or find a way to pay for their abortion. The services they provide to help with those coping with rape and abortion is a vital asset to women's health that is not expendable.+