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Why are anti-abortion Republicans limiting birth control access?

Planned Parenthood supporters rally for women's access to reproductive health care on "National Pink Out Day'' at Los Angeles City Hall in 2015.
Planned Parenthood supporters rally for women's access to reproductive health care on "National Pink Out Day'' at Los Angeles City Hall in 2015. Nick Ut The Associated Press

The Republicans in Congress state that they are against abortion.

So why are they defunding Planned Parenthood? Ninety-seven percent of what Planned Parenthood does is birth control, cervical cancer screening and breast cancer screening. Because of the Hyde Amendment, no federal dollars are used toward abortion.

Won’t defunding Planned Parenthood result in more abortions and unplanned pregnancies? Especially among low-income women who can’t afford to pay to see a private OB/GYN? If the goal is to have as few abortions as possible, and to have the children who are born be both wanted and planned, then why are the Republicans in Congress making it harder, instead of easier, for women to access birth control?

Priscilla Herzog, Atascadero

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Why are anti-abortion Republicans limiting birth control access?."

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