Based on headlines the last couple years, you might think the country is divided about Planned Parenthood. And while it’s true that the services Planned Parenthood health centers provide — birth control, abortion, sex education, gender-affirming care, and more — are getting harder to deliver, that’s because of a small number of lawmakers, not because the public doesn’t support us.
As I like to say, at Planned Parenthood, we’re built for this. Despite every obstacle lawmakers throw our way, Planned Parenthood health centers just keep delivering on the care that patients across the country expect and deserve.
That’s why Planned Parenthood Federation of America is grateful, honored, and yet unsurprised with the results of new nationwide polling showing that nearly 8 in 10 Americans support Planned Parenthood and see it as a valuable resource in local communities.
Because no matter what terrible bill is being debated in any given statehouse or congressional committee, the dedicated, compassionate, qualified Planned Parenthood health center staff show up for patients. Each year, over 2 million people come to nearly 600 Planned Parenthood health centers across the country, and millions more access online sexual and reproductive health information.
As the new research shows, Planned Parenthood’s strongest support comes from women, adults under 35 years old, and Black, Latino, and AAPI communities. And wow, are we proud of that! Knowing how disparities in sexual and reproductive health care affect these communities, the care Planned Parenthood health centers provide is not only trusted, but vital.
Everything Planned Parenthood does is in service of our mission to ensure all people can get the care and information they need to live healthy lives. Every day, all day, the staff at Planned Parenthood Federation of America are asking: “Does this increase access to care?” And the doctors, clinicians, and staff at Planned Parenthood health centers are asking how they can be there for the people who call, walk into their doors, or log in for virtual visits.
They know it’s no small thing to trust a provider, to shatter the silence and shame that too often surround sexual and reproductive health. Trust is as essential to Planned Parenthood health center providers as a stethoscope or a speculum. More than three out of every four adults (77%) say they trust Planned Parenthood to provide them with honest information, including 93% of liberals and more than half (55%) of conservatives. It goes to show that although sexual and reproductive health care transcends ideological identification.
Three-fourths of Americans across demographics and ideological identification also say they’d be concerned about the loss of affordable reproductive health and preventive care services if Planned Parenthood health centers went away. They understand that Planned Parenthood health centers fill a critical gap in our country’s strained public health infrastructure, meeting the needs of many — including young people, immigrants, and people with low incomes — who may not be able to get care elsewhere. Polling results show that nearly all adults (96%) agree that it’s important for people of all incomes to have access to reproductive health care.
But the reality in our country is that far too many people cannot afford even basic reproductive health care like cancer screenings or birth control on their own. Our local, state, and federal governments have a role to play, according to nine in 10 adults (91%) who said it’s important for the federal government to provide funding for people with low incomes to access reproductive health care.
We’re proud of the support Planned Parenthood has from people from all ages, races, ethnicities, income levels, and ideologies. But we’re even more proud of the trust that support shows: the trust that Planned Parenthood organizations across the country will keep showing up to ensure access to high-quality, affordable health care and unbiased, accurate information every single day, no matter what.
Tags: IStandWithPP, AMJ