Letter to the Editor: Focus on Women’s Health, Not Politics, The Journal News, February 5, 2012

To the Editor:

Twenty-two years ago, I heard my doctor say to me: You have breast cancer. Not words anyone wants to hear. The doctor continued to say, “Because you have had an annual mammogram for many years, your cancer was caught immediately.” The reason I was able to have annual mammograms was because I was fortunate to have excellent health coverage.

The shocking news that Susan G. Komen for the Cure had decided to cut off grants to Planned Parenthood disturbs me immensely. What would the thousands of women do who are not as fortunate as I was to have excellent health coverage? These women rely upon Planned Parenthood health centers to provide essential breast health exams and referrals, especially those in rural areas and underserved communities.

Komen’s decision, I fear, would have left thousands of women unable to have regular breast screenings, thus putting their lives at risk. It is unfortunate that an organization with whom Planned Parenthood has worked hand in hand to share a common goal — advancing women’s health — would succumb to political pressure, rather than focus on saving women’s lives.