An official statement by Planned Parenthood has been made regarding the highly edited and misleading viral video which emerged this week. The original video was recorded in 2014 with intent to smear the reputation of the healthcare organization. It shows a Planned Parenthood senior medical director having lunch with undercover anti-choice activists posing as potential biologists interested in buying fetus body parts for research. Dr. Deborah Nucatola apathetically discuses various procedures used to remove body parts during an abortion without damaging the organs.
Here is the referenced undercover video followed by Planned Parenthood’s statement.
- More information about the damaging video can be found at NPR
- Media Matters points out three very deceptive edits from the original video: Here.
Here is the official statement and video by Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards:
Hello. I’m Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.Planned Parenthood provides a full range of health care services to millions of women, men, and young people every year, including cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing and treatment, and abortion. And we provide much more than health services – we support millions of people as they build their futures and pursue their goals.
Recently, an organization that opposes safe and legal abortion used secretly recorded, heavily edited videos to make outrageous claims about programs that help women donate fetal tissue for medical research.
I want to be really clear: The allegation that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation is not true. Our donation programs – like any other high-quality health care providers – follow all laws and ethical guidelines. Over our 100-year history, we have continually engaged leading medical experts to shape our practices, policies, and high standards – and always will.
Our top priority is the compassionate care that we provide. In the video, one of our staff members speaks in a way that does not reflect that compassion. This is unacceptable, and I personally apologize for the staff member’s tone and statements.
As always, if there is any aspect of our work that can be strengthened, we want to know about it, and we take swift action to address it.
Planned Parenthood stands behind our work to help women and families donate tissue for medical research when they wish to. It is always their decision.
I thank those women and families who have chosen tissue donation at some point in their lives. Your commitment to lifesaving research, developing treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, is important and compassionate, and it should be respected – not attacked.
We know the real agenda of organizations behind videos like this, and they have never been concerned with protecting the health and safety of women. Their mission is to ban abortion completely and cut women off from care at Planned Parenthood and other health centers.
We will never let that happen.
The battle for women’s reproductive choice continues. To learn more about Planned Parenthood and support their efforts to help women, men, and children, visit their website at PlannedParenthood.com. You can also Planned Parenthood on Facebook here.
If you’ve ever thought about donating to this important organization, which is constantly under attack by anti-choice extremists, there has never been a better time. John Boehner and Republican lawmakers have already launched a federal investigation and we can be sure they will take advantage of every opportunity, including using government and outside funding, as well as boldface lies, to close down Planned Parenthood health centers for good. This has been their agenda for decades. To make a secure donation, here is the direct Planned Parenthood Donation Page.
Originally posted to Daily Kos by Leslie Salzillo.
- Source Links – August 29, 2020
- About Pat Warde: Eulogy Tribute by Eleanor Hughes – April 1, 2019
- Editorial Note – January 15, 2019
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