The History of Planned Parenthood: A Conservative Perspective on Its Legacy and What Women's Healthcare Should Really Entail
The History of Planned Parenthood: A Conservative Perspective on Its Legacy and What Women's Healthcare Should Really Entail
Planned Parenthood, founded in 1916 by Margaret Sanger, is one of the most controversial organizations in the United States. Its mission, originally framed around providing birth control and reproductive health services to women, has morphed over the years into a national institution that performs millions of abortions every year. The organization's legacy is intertwined with complex questions about eugenics, women's rights, and the nature of healthcare. From a conservative viewpoint, Planned Parenthood’s impact on society is not as positive as many proponents claim, and its original intentions raise serious ethical concerns.
The Founder’s Hidden Agenda: Eugenics and Social Control
Margaret Sanger, the woman credited with founding Planned Parenthood, had radical views that have become increasingly difficult to ignore in light of the organization's modern-day practices. Sanger was not only an advocate for birth control but also a vocal proponent of eugenics — the idea that society could be improved by controlling reproduction, particularly by limiting the population of certain groups she considered "unfit."
Sanger's early writings and speeches reveal her deep connection to the eugenics movement, which sought to encourage the reproduction of individuals deemed genetically superior while discouraging or even preventing the reproduction of those deemed inferior, often targeting ethnic minorities, immigrants, and the poor. Sanger's infamous 1921 speech in New York, where she advocated for the "elimination of the unfit," is a stark reminder of her controversial beliefs.
Despite the push for reproductive rights, many of Sanger’s goals were grounded in ideas of social engineering that modern-day advocates of Planned Parenthood have distanced themselves from. Her connections to eugenics organizations and her early work in promoting sterilization laws for those she deemed mentally ill or unfit are rarely discussed today but form a disturbing part of the organization's roots.
Planned Parenthood's Modern-Day Impact
While the modern incarnation of Planned Parenthood positions itself as a provider of reproductive healthcare, its history remains a point of contention for conservatives. The organization continues to perform over 300,000 abortions annually, making it one of the largest abortion providers in the country. For many conservatives, this alone is a major reason to question the value of Planned Parenthood in society. Abortion, often framed as a "choice," is seen as a violation of the sanctity of life, and for many, the fact that Planned Parenthood is so deeply invested in promoting it casts a long shadow on its purported mission of providing "healthcare."
Beyond abortion, Planned Parenthood also promotes contraception and sexual health services. While these are legitimate aspects of healthcare for some individuals, critics argue that the organization's focus on birth control and abortion over more holistic healthcare services leaves a gap in addressing women's needs. Health services should go beyond the limited scope of contraception and abortion and focus on nurturing women's overall well-being in ways that promote long-term physical, emotional, and mental health.
What Women’s Healthcare Should Really Mean
Women’s healthcare, particularly in a post-abortive society, should be centered on providing comprehensive support for women’s physical, mental, and emotional health. A truly compassionate and well-rounded approach to women's health would include mental health care, postpartum care, and robust childcare support, none of which are adequately addressed by Planned Parenthood.
Mental Healthcare: Women face unique emotional and psychological challenges throughout their lives, especially in areas like pregnancy, childbirth, and family dynamics. A true healthcare system should include mental health support to help women cope with depression, anxiety, and postpartum mood disorders, conditions that are too often ignored or minimized in traditional medical models.
Postpartum Care: After giving birth, many women face a gap in support. The challenges of recovering from childbirth, adjusting to new motherhood, and facing potential postpartum depression are critical areas that need more robust healthcare intervention. Planned Parenthood, however, focuses primarily on abortion and contraception and does little to address these essential stages of motherhood.
Robust Childcare: The need for affordable, high-quality childcare is an issue that disproportionately affects women. Instead of merely offering a narrow set of reproductive health services, a broader healthcare model for women should include support for working mothers, such as subsidies for childcare, workplace flexibility, and other services that enable women to thrive in their roles as mothers and professionals.
Preventative Care: A well-rounded approach to women's healthcare should also focus on preventative care — ensuring that women are supported through regular health screenings, vaccinations, and education on how to maintain long-term wellness. Planned Parenthood does offer services like pap smears and breast exams, but its focus on birth control and abortion has left these preventative measures on the backburner in some cases. True healthcare should take a more holistic approach.
The Problem with Planned Parenthood's Focus
The issue with Planned Parenthood is not just the services they provide but the framework in which they operate. By narrowing the scope of women’s healthcare to contraception and abortion, they reduce the complex, multifaceted nature of women’s health to mere reproductive control. Women deserve healthcare that supports their entire being — their mental, emotional, and physical needs — and fosters their overall well-being in all aspects of life, not just the prevention of pregnancy.
Furthermore, as conservatives, we believe that family, faith, and community play essential roles in ensuring the health and well-being of women. Rather than relying on a controversial and often divisive institution like Planned Parenthood, we should prioritize programs that empower women through family support, community-driven resources, and a more expansive view of healthcare that goes beyond abortion.
Conclusion: A Call for Holistic Women’s Healthcare
The history and actions of Planned Parenthood reveal a complex and controversial legacy that warrants critical examination. While the organization has provided birth control and reproductive health services, it has also reinforced a narrow, reductionist view of women’s health that emphasizes abortion over a more holistic and comprehensive approach to well-being.
Women’s healthcare should be more than just about reproductive choice. It should address mental health, postpartum care, affordable childcare, and overall well-being. Rather than supporting organizations like Planned Parenthood that focus on limiting reproduction, we must create a healthcare model that empowers women through long-term support, education, and compassionate care that values life in all its stages.
In doing so, we will ensure that women not only have the freedom to make choices but the support to thrive as individuals, mothers, and leaders in our society.
