Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and one of its larger members. PPFA provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Inc. (PPAF) is a related organization that lobbies the U.S. political system for pro-choice legislation, comprehensive sex education, and access to affordable health care. The organization has its roots in Brooklyn, New York where Margaret Sanger opened the country's first birth control clinic. Sanger founded the American Birth Control League in 1921, which in 1942 became part of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. Since then, it has grown to have over 820 clinic locations in the United States, with a total budget of approximately US $1 billion, and provides an array of services to over three million people. Contents 1 History 1.1 Margaret Sanger Awards 2 Services and facilities 3 Funding 4 Stand on political and legal issues 5 In the US Supreme Court 6 Controversy and criticism 6.1 Recorded stings by pro-life activists 6.2 Court cases 6.3 Anti-abortion violence 7 See also 8 References 9 External links [edit] History Margaret Sanger, the first president and founder of Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood headquarters on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C . Planned Parenthood originated in 1916 when Margaret Sanger, already a nationally known birth control advocate, and associates opened the first US birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York. It resulted in her being jailed.[3] In 1938, the clinic was organized into the American Birth Control League, which became part of the only national birth control organization in the US until the 1960s.[4] By 1941, the organization was operating 222 centers and had served 49,000 clients.[5] By 1942 the League had become part of what became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.[4] It has since become the world's largest organization of its kind.[5] By 1960, the Federation's grassroots volunteers had provided family planning counseling in hundreds of communities across the country.[5] Planned Parenthood was one of the founding members of the International Planned Parenthood Federation when it was launched at a conference in Bombay, India in 1952.[6][5] Following Sanger, Alan Guttmacher became president of Planned Parenthood and served from 1962 till 1974.[7] During his tenure, the Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of the original birth control pill, giving rise to new attitudes towards women's reproductive freedom.[5] Also during his presidency, Planned Parenthood convinced the federal government to fund domestic and international family planning programs.[5] The Center for Family Planning Program Development was also founded as a semi-autonomous division during this time.[8] The center became an independent organization and was renamed the Guttmacher Institute in 1977.[8] Faye Wattleton was the first woman named president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1978 and served till 1992.[9] She was the first African-American to serve as president, and the youngest president in Planned Parenthood's history.[10] During her term, Planned Parenthood grew to become the seventh largest charity in the country, providing services to four million clients each year through its 170 affiliates whose activities were spread across 50 states.[11] A Planned Parenthood supporter participates in a demonstration in support of the organization. From 1996 to 2006, Planned Parenthood was led by Gloria Feldt.[12][13] Feldt activated the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the organization's political action committee, launching what was the most far reaching electoral advocacy effort in its history.[14] She also launched the Responsible Choices Action Agenda, a nationwide campaign to increase services to prevent unwanted pregnancies, improve quality of reproductive care and ensure access to safe and legal abortions.[5] Another initiative was the commencement of a "Global Partnership Program" with the aim of building a vibrant activist constituency in support of family planning.[5] On February 15, 2006, Cecile Richards became president of the organization.[15] [edit] Margaret Sanger Awards Main article: Margaret Sanger Awards In 1966, PPFA began awarding the Margaret Sanger Award annually to honor, in their words, "individuals of distinction in recognition of excellence and leadership in furthering reproductive health and reproductive rights." In the first year, it was awarded to four men, Carl G. Hartman, William H. Draper, Lyndon Baines Johnson, and Martin Luther King.[16][17][18][19] Later recipients have included John D. Rockefeller III, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Ted Turner.[20][21][22] [edit] Services and facilities PPFA is a federation of 85 independent Planned Parenthood affiliates around the United States.[1] These affiliates together operate more than 820 health centers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.[1][23] Together, they are the largest family planning provider in the United States with over four million activists, supporters and donors.[24][25][26] They serve over five million clients a year, 26% of which are teenagers under the age of 19.[27] Services provided at locations include contraceptives (birth control); emergency contraception; screening for breast, cervical and testicular cancers; pregnancy testing and pregnancy options counseling; testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases; comprehensive sexuality education, menopause treatments; vasectomies, tubal ligations, and abortion. Location in Houston, Texas The largest of these facilities, a $26 million, 78,000-square-foot (7,200 m2) structure was completed in Houston, Texas in May 2010.[28] This serves as a headquarters for 12 clinics in Texas and Louisiana.[28] Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider.[29] In 2008, they reported that contraception constituted 35% of total services, STI/STD testing and treatment constituted 34%, cancer testing and screening constituted 17%; and other women's health procedures, including pregnancy, prenatal, midlife, and infertility were 10%;[30] less than 2% of visits involve abortions.[31] [edit] Funding Planned Parenthood has received federal funding since 1970, when President Richard Nixon signed into law the Family Planning Services and Population Research Act, amending the Public Health Service Act. Title X of that law provides funding for family planning services, including contraception and family planning information. The law enjoyed bipartisan support from liberals who saw contraception access as increasing families' control over their lives, and conservatives who saw it as a way to keep people off welfare.[32] In the 2007–08 Annual Report, clinic income totalled $374.7 million and miscellaneous operating revenues $68.9 million.[33] Approximately two-thirds of the revenue is put towards the provision of health services, while non-medical services such as sex education and public policy work make up another 16%; management expenses, fundraising, and international family planning programs account for most of the rest. Planned Parenthood receives about a third of its money in government grants and contracts ($349.6 million in the 2008 fiscal year). A coalition of national and local pro-life groups have lobbied the federal government to stop funding Planned Parenthood.[34] Federal legislators have also proposed laws that would ban Planned Parenthood from receiving federal money for any purpose.[35] By law, Planned Parenthood cannot allocate any federal funding for abortions.[34] Some abortion opponents, like Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, have argued that allocating money to Planned Parenthood for the provision of other medical services "frees up" funds for abortion.[35][36] Planned Parenthood is also funded by private donors, with a membership base of over 700,000 active donors whose contributions account for approximately one quarter of the organization's revenue.[33] Large donors also contribute a substantial portion of the organization's budget; donors have included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Buffett Foundation, Ford Foundation, Ted Turner Foundation, the Cullmans and others.[37][38][39][40] The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's contributions to the organization have been specifically marked to avoid funding abortions.[37] Some, such as the Buffett Foundation, have specifically marked funds for abortion services.[37] Pro-life groups[who?] have advocated the boycott of donors to Planned Parenthood.[41][42] [edit] Stand on political and legal issues Planned Parenthood and its predecessor organizations have provided and advocated for access to birth control. The modern organization of Planned Parenthood America is also an advocate for reproductive rights.[43] This advocacy includes contributing to sponsorship of abortion rights and women's rights events[44] and assisting in the testing of new contraceptives.[45] The Federation opposes restrictions on women's reproductive health services, including parental consent laws. Planned Parenthood has cited the case of Becky Bell, who died of a back-alley abortion in 1988 due to parental consent laws, to justify their opposition.[46][47] Planned Parenthood also takes the position that laws requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor are unconstitutional on privacy grounds.[48] The organization also opposes laws requiring ultrasounds before abortions, stating that their only purpose is to make abortions more difficult to obtain.[49] Planned Parenthood has also opposed initiatives that require waiting periods before abortions,[50] and bans on late-term abortions including intact dilation and
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Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation Read the rest
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