Reproductive Justice Vs Planned Parenthood

Abortion and reproductive justice is a hot topic right now. With left and right wing legislators trying to support or reject reproductive justice rights, it is everywhere we turn. Our class guest speaker, Carly Class, works for the Southeastern divine for Planned Parenthood in Florida. To many, Planned Parenthood is an abortion clinic, but it does so much more than terminate pregnancies. She went over the services that Planned Parenthood provides as well as the definition of reproductive justice. Reproductive justice is defined as, “When all people have the economic, social and political power & resources to make healthy decisions about their bodies, sexuality and reproduction for themselves, their families and their communities in all areas

Not everyones personal or financial situation is the same. While some women reaching out for abortion services my be meet with support, others may experience the opposite. In The Only Good Abortion is My Abortion, a well off married woman seeks out assistance because she is told by her doctor that she will eventually suffer a miscarriage due to a chromosomal abnormality of her fetus. Being well off, the woman has more options to choose a proper physical of her choice instead of a women women with little to no income who is in need of assistance. Race also plays into differing situations. A white woman would be given more options while a Black women would most likely be met with criticism due to stereotypes and controlling images of Black women having a lot of kids and being “welfare queens”. White women receiving abortions are the “good” kind of abortions because as disclosed in The Only Good Abortion is My Abortion, the health and life of the mother is in question. With other women of less fortunate financial situations and have the stereotypes attached to them, their abortions are bad because the women receiving them are “Jezebels” who can not seem to keep their legs

The end of abortion has time and time again been up for decision by law makers. Religious institutions and people are against abortions as well. Catholic hospitals and clinics will not perform abortions nor refer patients to clinics that would perform the abortion. There are groups of people who stand outside of abortions clinics to try to dissuade women from reaching abortion procedures. These people are called, “sidewalk consolers”. In the article, “The Abortion Clinic Across the Street”, Kathryn Joyce accounts these “sidewalk consolers” and the tactics they use to enforce reproductive oppression. Some of the strategies the “sidewalk consolers” use are, “Providing misleading information about women pregnancy status or due date, or suggest unproven links between abortion and cancer, infertility and suicide” (Joyce 427). This misinformation may make pregnant women feel that they have no choice but to have the baby. A reproductive justice framework works to relieve these feelings. Planned Parenthood offers support and services to help with an unwanted pregnancy as well as medically accurate information about the results of receiving an abortion. The support Planned Parenthood provides, gives a reproductive justice framework. The service sand information the provide combats the “sidewalk consolers” who aim is to dissuade women from women from carrying out their reproductive right to choose what they can do with