STAND WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers has had a long history of support for reproductive rights and for Planned Parenthood; and

WHEREAS, attacks by extremist groups and politicians on reproductive rights and women's health and economic well-being are a major part of the ongoing war on women in the United States; and

WHEREAS, those opposed to safe, legal abortions for women have demanded an end to federal funding to Planned Parenthood and even threatened a government shutdown to get it. They have made outrageous allegations to attack Planned Parenthood. Their goal is to ban all abortions and cut women off from needed healthcare. They have even fought against insurance coverage for birth control; and

WHEREAS, an extremist organization pretending to be a medical research organization interviewed a Planned Parenthood doctor for three hours and subsequently publicized an eight-minute, selectively edited video of the interview in an attempt to discredit and defund Planned Parenthood; and

WHEREAS, the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993 allows a woman to legally consent to donate fetal tissue after an abortion. It was instrumental in developing the polio vaccine. Current studies use the tissue to research AIDS, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other diseases. Planned Parenthood does not profit monetarily from such tissue donations; and

WHEREAS, essential preventive care comprises 85 to 90 percent of Planned Parenthood services, including contraception, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, cancer screenings and more. Abortion care comprises a small but crucial percentage of its services and is available only in some clinics. By law, no federal money has been used for abortion services since 1976; and

WHEREAS, approximately 700 Planned Parenthood clinics across the country provide the only place for affordable, reliable healthcare in their communities, and millions of people utilize their services each year:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers stands with Planned Parenthood and the millions who depend on its healthcare services, including contraception, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and legal, safe abortions; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT condemns the decades-long assault on Planned Parenthood by anti-abortion groups that demand barriers to reproductive healthcare and make it as difficult as possible for women to access the healthcare they need; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will call upon all of its state affiliates, locals and members to urge their legislators, both state and federal, to stand up for women's health and defend, not defund, Planned Parenthood.