My Planned Parenthood

Posted as Part of the My Planned Parenthood Blog Carnival

I went to Planned Parenthood today. I went alone.

I am a man. I am gay. I am sexually active. I went to Planned Parenthood for an HIV test.

There is a myth, one promoted by the anti-choicers that Planned Parenthood is some kind of abortion factory, killing babies with tax-payer funds, but, apart from the facts that abortions don't kill babies and the Hyde Amendment already prevents the use of tax-payer funds for abortions, Planned Parenthood offers so much more than abortion services. And Planned Parenthood doesn't only serve women. Services are available to men, too.

I was able to walk in, ask for a HIV test, and within minutes the staff was drawing my blood. Fifteen minutes later, I had the results.

The horrendous cuts to their funding, the anti-choicers' (very successful) attempts to shut down Planned Parenthood affects more than just women. It does more than just stop Planned Parenthood from performing abortions. It also affects gay men like me who need access to STI screening. It affects entire communities.