How Many Mammograms Does Planned Parenthood Perform Each Year?
It turns out the answer is... zero! No one was going to lose access to mammograms because Komen stopped giving Planned Parenthood money, because Planned Parenthood doesn't do any mammograms. There won't be any "sections" of the country where women can no longer get mammograms if Planned Parenthood lacks Komen funding, because Planned Parenthood doesn't do any mammograms
Oops.
UPDATE: Title changed from "provide" to "perform," because Planned Parenthood "provides" screening in that it refers for and may help pay for mammograms. But obviously Komen could just fund the people who are getting the referrals directly without diminishing the availability of screening.
Oops.
UPDATE: Title changed from "provide" to "perform," because Planned Parenthood "provides" screening in that it refers for and may help pay for mammograms. But obviously Komen could just fund the people who are getting the referrals directly without diminishing the availability of screening.
Youtube FAIL: "Through a grant from the local Central Texas Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Planned Parenthood in Waco provides life-saving mammogram screening and abnormal mammogram follow-up diagnostic testing for low-income women."
ReplyDelete(http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppwaco/BCCS%20Komen-28753.htm)
A little more googling suggests a mammogram screener costs about $25,000. Yes, I'm guessing the majority of PP facilities don't have one.
What they do is spend 15% of their budget on cancer screenings (5 times as much as they spend on abortion) and I'm sure when they detect problems in their screenings (which are much easier for low-income women to access), they refer them to places that do have mammagram machines.
I'm sure with 820 facilities it's trivial to put together a youtube list of ones without a screener.
Even that begs the question: so what?
This has more info: http://news.yahoo.com/surprises-planned-parenthood-cancer-testing-220350325.html
ReplyDeleteDaniel, that link does not say PP Waco delivers ANY mammograms: it says it will "help women get mammography and follow-up care."
ReplyDeleteThe "So what?" is this: if PP is just offering referral and funding help (which is what appears to be the case: the woman calling PP is repeatedly told "PP doesn't do mammograms: we'll refer you to another agency") then the idea that without PP, some women in some parts of the country wouldn't be able to get mammograms (which was suggested here in the comments) is nonsense: Komen could just directly fund the people doing the actual mammograms.
"What they do is spend 15% of their budget on cancer screenings (5 times as much as they spend on abortion)"
Read the links again: they repeatedly say cancer screening makes up 15% of our "services" or "activities", and abortion 3% -- they never say "of our budget." That's because they are just counting the procedures, and most emphatically not their cost. Abortion is only 3% of the NUMBER of total services offered by PP, but about 1/3 of their revenue.
Daniel, here is a PP spokeswoman stating, very, very clearly, that PP only provides referrals, no mammograms.
ReplyDeleteYouTube SUCCESS.
"Yes, I'm guessing the majority of PP facilities don't have one."
ReplyDeleteYes, Daniel, the majority as in 100%.
Another PP spokesperson:
ReplyDelete'“Planned Parenthood doctors and nurses provide more than 800,000 breast cancer screenings annually. We offer breast exams at every one of our family planning health centers. Like the vast majority of primary care physicians and ob-gyns, we refer our patients to other facilities for mammograms when indicated based on a breast exam, age or family history.”'
NO mammograms.
Oh, and here is Komen:
'During a conference call with reporters this afternoon, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure CEO Nancy Brinker and President Elizabeth Thompson revealed the main reason why the Planned Parenthood abortion business lost its funding. It doesn’t do mammograms.
'“It was nothing they were doing wrong,” Brinker explained. “We have decided not to fund, wherever possible, pass-through grants. We were giving them money, they were sending women out for mammograms. What we would like to have are clinics where we can directly fund mammograms.”'
PP only does mammogram referrals. The idea that some women would not be able to get mammograms because PP funding was cut was pure propaganda. That's "So what?"
Amazingly, MediaMatters, in trying to claim that PP really does do mammograms, provides yet more proof that they don't:
ReplyDelete"PPCT provides referrals and pays for mammograms and diagnostic follow up treatment for our patients at area radiology and surgical clinics." -- http://mediamatters.org/research/201202030006
They're a referral service. Period. (In part this controversy is made possible by the ambiguity in the word "provides," in that PP centers can refer someone and pay for their screening, and say, with some justice, that they "provided" a mammogram. But obviously Komen could just fund the actual mammography clinic instead.)
I do not have time to follow up on what "provides life-saving mammogram screening" means, but I am going to work off the assumption that "provides life-saving mammogram screening" means "provides life-saving mammogram screening".
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong.
I'm really not clear on what's gotten you so excited. 800,000 screenings??? They're hardly just handing out referrals.
I'm not sure what a video of a jerk pestering a volunteer at a tent and just telling them "no you don't" is supposed to say. It's quite possible also that PP California does something different from PP Texas which "provides life-saving mammogram screening".
The initial justification for PP was that it was being investigated by Congress. Komen seems to have changed the story.
I really don't see why we're arguing about 800,000 screenings and at least one site that "provides life-saving mammogram screening".
'"provides life-saving mammogram screening" means "provides life-saving mammogram screening".'
ReplyDeleteYes, and it is VERY obvious when they say they will "help" you get a mammogram that they mean they will refer you, and that is how they "provide" the screenings. And I have shown you several cases of PP spokeswomen very clearly stating that they don't do mammograms, only referrals.
Daniel, this *IS* PP Texas:
"PPCT provides referrals and pays for mammograms and diagnostic follow up treatment for our patients at area radiology and surgical clinics." -- http://mediamatters.org/research/201202030006
They "provide" referrals and pay. With Komen money. Which Komen could just send to the actual mammogram facility. Which they would have done.
And so the whole hub-bub was NEVER about any cut in cancer screening. It was about "How dare anyone look askance at an abortion provider?"
Let's reverse the question: What has got you so UNexcited about having been duped by PP propaganda?
I love watching you guys argue. I say to both of you, "Now do you see what I'm talking about?!"
ReplyDeleteBTW, some people chime in once in a while on this issue and claim that it was because Komen has bylaws saying they can't fund groups that are under investigation, and that PP is currently under investigation. Is that a red herring? I've seen neither of you discuss it, when others are claiming this is the whole kit-and-kaboodle.
"Now do you see what I'm talking about?!"
ReplyDeleteWith regards to Daniel? Wooo, I sure do!
Re Komen bylaws: yes, they said that, and several other things (as quoted here, for instance).
One thing for sure: Komen created a PR fiasco!
"With regards to Daniel? Wooo, I sure do!"
ReplyDeleteHe's a slippery fellow, that's for sure. Haha!
I only mentioned the bylaws a few days ago because I don't have a horse in this race, so it amuses me to see the debate by those who do (intellectually, ideologically, politically, etc).
What may have been a simple administrative decision based upon their own rules has now turned into a big public debate on issues that probably have little to do with the decision and more to do with the deeply held beliefs of those on each side (of the debate).
pulled this up for info--not mis-info. First noted all involved in discussion are male names. This is easy. Put your money where your mouoth is. Either support SGK and PP or don't. Somehow I don't think either of you is talking about women's health--you are talking about politics of abortion and choice. Either way you are not women, so shut up.
ReplyDelete"Either way you are not women, so shut up."
ReplyDeleteRiiight, Lily. And I am not a child, so I can have no opinion on child molestation. And not being a Jew, I shouldn't object to the Holocaust. And since I'm not black, I ought to just shut up about slavery.
What idiocy.