Published on February 1st, 2012 | by Kim LaCapria
1Susan G. Komen Pulls Planned Parenthood Funding, Provokes Social Media Ire
If you yourself follow women’s causes or have lots of social media friends who do, you probably know that the Susan G. Komen foundation- which largely helped make the breast cancer/pink connection- have pulled funding from reproductive health provider Planned Parenthood, predictably sparking intense outcry on social media sites.
The decision- absent of direct comment from the Susan G. Komen Foundation- is believed to be related to abortion politics. And regardless of where you stand on the issue, funding from Komen to Planned Parenthood enabled nearly 200,000 low-income women in America to receive breast cancer screening and services to which they otherwise would not have had access each year- so the decision to yank funding is a massive blow to the women in America least equipped to fight breast cancer.
In a statement, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America expressed disappointment in the decision, as well as hope that Komen would reconsider and reinstate funding for breast cancer services at their clinics:
“We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure. Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count.”
Do you think the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to cut ties with Planned Parenthood is out of line with their stated mission to fight breast cancer in the first place?
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