Saturday, June 24, 2017

Pro-Lifers Stop Planned Parenthood From Opening Inside High School – For Now


By Claire Chretien
Life Site News

Massive outcry from pro-life students and activists caused a Pennsylvania school board to pull a proposal for the establishment of a Planned Parenthood-run "sexual health counseling center" inside a high school.

However, the fight isn't over. The board will likely debate the proposal at another time and vote on it in August.

The pro-abortion group AccessMatters suggested the creation of a "sexual health counseling center" inside Reading High School and run by Planned Parenthood. This center would focus "primarily [on] counseling services and condoms," according to the Reading Eagle, and "Planned Parenthood Keystone would manage daily operations."

AccessMatters runs "community-based programs" that deal with issues like "teen pregnancy prevention and education" and "LGBT health disparities." It admits that its in-school clinics funnel students to places where they can receive "sexual and reproductive health services," often a euphemism for abortion and contraception.

"Our unique position within the sexual and reproductive health care community allows us to not only have a real-time understanding of the needs of our communities, but also anticipate those needs," its website says. "This vantage point allows us to respond with programs that improve individuals’ quality of life, support them through difficult or dramatic life changes, and assist them in strengthening health promoting behaviors. Through our unique abilities to engage and empower even the hardest-to-reach populations, we are closing the gap between those with access to sexual and reproductive health and those without."

AccessMatters says its "school-based health resource centers" provide "confidential school-based places where students can receive counseling and education, condoms, and referrals to community-based providers for sexual and reproductive health services."

"If Planned Parenthood is allowed to be inside Reading High School, they are going to replicate this model in high schools – and likely middle schools – across the country. They cannot be allowed prime access to our children," said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America.

The Reading school board was scheduled to discuss the proposal on Wednesday, but it was pulled from the meeting's agenda at the last minute without notice.

"It had apparently been pulled [at the] last minute after seeing us," Michael Israel of LeHigh Valley Pro-Life Future, who was at the meeting, told LifeSiteNews. He noted that the Reading school board requires "a one-meeting pause between discussion and voting."

No comments:

Post a Comment