Planned Parenthood cuts feared under Trump

By Jessica Freda and Meaghan Michel
Bengal News West Reporters

It’s rare to enter a medical center feeling accepted and welcomed the minute you walk through the door. With vibrant furniture, colorful artwork and gender-neutral bathrooms, it’s hard to imagine that this unique safe space is now in the hands of the Trump administration and could be taken away from West Side residents and others from across the region who depend on services here.

Planned Parenthood offers birth control, cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infection testings and treatments, and yearly gynecological exams for women, which are known as well-woman exams at the organization’s location at 2697 Main St. in Buffalo.

The agency also travels to a variety of high schools and colleges to educate students on proper birth control methods and sex education.

But a budget proposal by the Trump administration that would squeeze funding for Planned Parenthood would take all that away.

 “What they want to do is make us ineligible to take Medicaid payments so we can no longer see individuals that are insured by Medicaid, which is a large group of our population,” Todd Warfield, the director of Facilities and Security for Planned Parenthood, said.

Todd Warfield, Planned Parenthood facilities director

Warfield believes that “defunding” is a strange word to use when it comes to this complex matter.

 Warfield is concerned that the government is trying to strip Planned Parenthood of its rights to accept those with Medicaid because they are opposed to the full act of women’s health care, which includes abortion.

 While many people harp on the option of termination that is provided by the organization, abortions only make up around 3 percent of the business, Warfield said.. The greater percentage is birth control and sexually transmitted infection screenings, he added.

 “Gov. Cuomo was talking something about how a million people in New York State would lose their health care. I’m not quite sure of the specifics or the bill they’re discussing in Congress right now, but I know that any cuts to us would mean women would lose their health care,” Warfield said. 

Todd Warfield on Planned Parenthood's services:

 According to Warfield, women between the ages of 20 and 25 make-up 83 percent of the patients who are seen at Planned Parenthood. Warfield believes that Planned Parenthood serves a huge need in the community.

 Due to many of the patients relying on Planned Parenthood as their only health care provider, the resources and care that the organization offers is significant for them to receive. An estimated 1 in 5 women in the U.S. has visited a Planned Parenthood health center at least once in her life.

To strip Planned Parenthood’s rights to accept certain individual’s health care insurance means a huge population of patients would be restricted from receiving any health care, the organization’s leaders fear. 

"I don't think it's a good idea because you have those who cannot afford it out of pocket going there. It’s restricting women from a lot of resources that they may need in terms of benefiting their health. I don't think it is fair for anyone to feel that they have restrictions on their health,” West Side resident and Planned Parenthood patient, Alexis DePaulo said.

Doreen Adjei, West Side resident and a long-term patient of Planned Parenthood, says if this plan of attack follows through, she will no longer have an affordable place to go to take care of her health issues.

"I feel terrible about it. I feel that it's the only place where young teenage girls feel comfortable going to get the help that they need. For myself, being a young teenage girl, a lot of the time I am hesitant about sharing information to my father. Having Planned Parenthood is assuring because I know my health will be in someone’s care. Restricting that from individuals I don't think is fair,” said Adjei said.

            As the Trump administration still continues to work to “defund” Planned Parenthood, West Side residents and women worldwide will continue to take a stand against the government in order to ensure that the affordable services the organization provides can stay in tact.