Merced residents, officials weigh in on Planned Parenthood issues
The continuing conversation about Planned Parenthood reached a new peak Monday when the U.S. Senate blocked legislation that would bar the safety net provider from getting any federal funding.
The Senate voted 53-46 on the bill – seven short of the 60 votes needed to keep the measure moving toward passage, effectively derailing it for now.
Although the Planned Parenthood office in Merced does not have an abortion clinic (referrals can be made to the Madera and Modesto locations), it does get heat from some community residents.
On Tuesday, three women from the local nonprofit United for Life of Merced, prayed outside the Collins Drive office. They said they have always encouraged the defunding of Title X, the program through which Planned Parenthood gets a big chunk of its money, but even more so after learning more about videos that were secretly recorded by anti-abortion activists – videos that prompted the drive for the GOP bill.
Abortion opponents say the recordings caught Planned Parenthood discussing illegally selling the organs for profit – claims that Planned Parenthood has denied.
One of the women outside the Planned Parenthood office Tuesday, Kathy Rodriguez, 58, of Merced, said she had heard the videos were fabricated, but she believes they are genuine and accurate.
For abortion opponents, the discussion is far from over. Rodriguez said that even if funding continues, she is glad the conversation has been reignited.
“Planned Parenthood will still probably be here, but more people are being made aware of what (they) are really about,” Rodriguez said.
But local Planned Parenthood officials said the Merced office helps many lower-income families with a variety of health concerns, and believe many critics may be missing this point.
Defunding Planned Parenthood would affect a lot more than abortion services, said Pedro Elias, director of public affairs at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte in Fresno. Legislation could also impact Title X, the federal program that funds preventive family planning services and education.
Preventive care, including birth control, pregnancy testing, emergency contraception, breast and cervical cancer screening, and testing for sexually transmitted infections are all provided at Planned Parenthood locations.
In 2014, Planned Parenthood in Merced saw 6,393 patients for preventive care. In the past year, 1,869 high school students in Merced County received sexual health education through Planned Parenthood’s education department. Another 231 middle-school-age children received information on puberty, reproductive anatomy and refusal boundaries.
Elias said taking away preventive and education services would greatly affect communities with high unemployment and poverty rates – like communities across the Central Valley.
In Merced County, 98 percent of people who make use of Planned Parenthood services have incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
“When it comes to options, for many women, this is their go-to facility,” Elias said. “We want to continue to keep our doors open for them.”
Desirre Herrera, the regional program manager at Planned Parenthood in Merced, said taking such services away from rural communities could result in a boost in teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
“It impacts the overall health of the community,” Herrera said. “And it seems, at least in this community, that people are starting to see the benefits of having these services.”
Maria Salcido, 50, of Merced said that she understands Planned Parenthood offers a variety of health services but that it does not outweigh its “negative influence.”
“Other clinics can provide these same health services, without the abortion,” Salcido said. “They do more bad than good.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 8:07 PM with the headline "Merced residents, officials weigh in on Planned Parenthood issues."