Who Would Have Thought That Cancer Screenings Could Become Political?

by: Michele Jaker

Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 04:06:23 PM EST

Michele is Planned Parenthood's Executive Director in New Jersey.
- promoted by Rosi

Oh, right. Women in New Jersey took a big hit in 2010, when Gov. Christie decided to eliminate a $7.4 million budget line that helped fund cancer screenings - including Pap tests and clinical breast exams. This funding supported services for over 136,000 patients; for many without insurance or other access to care, Planned Parenthood had been their primary source of health care. Despite overwhelming pressure to reinstate funding, the Governor has repeatedly refused to do so.

Yesterday the deeply disappointing news broke about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation's recent decision to cease funding for breast health and cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood health centers. It’s sad – and so telling – that the Komen Foundation, an organization that shares in Planned Parenthood’s mission of protecting women’s health, would succumb to right-wing political pressure by refusing to help fund programs that provide life-saving cancer screenings to nearly 750,000 women nationwide.

Michele Jaker :: Who Would Have Thought That Cancer Screenings Could Become Political?

And, again, women in New Jersey take the hit. Planned Parenthood is a trusted provider of quality health care, and our health centers throughout the state offer care where it’s most needed. From 2008-2010, Planned Parenthood health centers in New Jersey performed 141,209 breast exams. (PS – Want to send a message to these right-wing opponents, we have a fund dedicated to supporting breast health services! Perhaps in honor of your favorite friend . . . or foe?)

One in five women has turned to Planned Parenthood at some time in her life for health care. Our health centers’ quality, accessibility and affordability have made Planned Parenthood a leader in identifying breast cancer early, when there is the best chance of successful treatment. With the assistance of community-based Komen funds, Planned Parenthood health centers have been able to provide women in underserved communities with breast health education, screenings, and referrals for mammograms — life-saving care for women where Planned Parenthood is their only source of health care.

Politics should never get in the way of women’s health. The real victims are the women who rely on life saving services at our health centers. We know the BlueJersey community has stood with these women in the past and we hope you will stand with them again.

Tags: cancer, Susan G. Komen, Planned Parenthood, featured, Chris Christie, cancer screenings, women's health, (All Tags)

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Who Would Have Thought That Cancer Screenings Could Become Political? | 4 comments

Little pink greeting card to Komen (0.00 / 0)

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 21:25:13 PM UTC

This is deadly serious (4.00 / 2)

It's hard for me to express how disgusted I am that Komen's SVP of Programs, a former politician who has an anti-choice axe to grind with Planned Parenthood, was able to get the Foundation's board to go along with this insane decision. I won't repeat what has been amply documented in the Washington Post article as well as elsewhere demonstrating the degree to which the Komen board has put ideology ahead of women's health.

I guess my own disgust comes from my awareness - as a survivor myself who spends time advocating, educating and fund-raising - that while cancer survival rates keep improving, they remain stubbornly bad among many demographics, notably the young, the poor, the uninsured. The screening that Planned Parenthood provides to people of little means might not be sufficient to make sure those women would have access to treatment and a cure but certainly goes a long way to improve the odds of survivorship. Add to that Planned Parenthood's extensive network of offices located in precisely the places in which the poor live.

This decision will significantly hurt progress that needs to be made in improving survival rates. Komen can try to spin this story however it likes but the fact remains that Planned Parenthood will continue to be one of the first places disadvantaged women go for medical care but will now find it even hard, in this poisoned political environment, to continue to offer those services. They certainly will need everyone's financial support to make up the deficit this Komen decision has created by betraying its supposed mission: to improve the odds of breast cancer survivorship.

by: Alex @ Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 21:44:43 PM UTC

In honor of my late mother who died 45 years ago today... (4.00 / 1)

... from breast cancer, I'm making a donation to Planned Parenthood right now. Everyone should do so. To turn women's health into a political ping pong ball is a travesty.

by: Marie Corfield @ Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 22:30:21 PM UTC

Republicans Want Women To Die.... (1.00 / 1)

...that's what it boils down to in concrete terms.

Republicans use the rhetoric of "right to life" but at the core they are some kind of sick materialistic nihilistic evil death worshipping cult of miserable greedy sick dehumanized vampire like creatures who seek satisfaction by sucking the life and the soul out of anything and anyone with whom they come into contact.

That may seem like an extreme pronouncement but that's how absolutely batshit crazy you have to be to consider yourself a decent human being who allegedly cares about life and to then deny millions of dollars worth of cancer screenings to women who are too poor to afford them otherwise.

Their "rationale" that ANY money given to planned parenthood is somehow dirty or tainted by the fact that it refers some women to abortion services is a per-version of reality and an affront on common human decency.

These people can't be this stupid. There's some truly sick shit going on here.

Alan Grayson had it right...the Republicans just want anyone who isn't rich to DIE!!!

The irony of it is that MOST of the folks who actually VOTE Republican aren't all that rich themselves but they have internalized the dehumanization and are perversely proud of their pathological status...self hating humans.

So sad.

by: Nick Lento @ Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 23:14:30 PM UTC