The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and Planned Parenthood often make news for their contributions to women’s health, but the organizations have recently become known for making waves instead.
For years, the Komen
Foundation has funded several Planned Parenthood programs, including breast health education, cancer screenings and mammogram referrals, but an Associated Press story published Jan. 31 said the foundation decided to withdraw its support.
Following a public relations backlash, Komen then reversed that decision Feb. 3 and announced it would continue to support the organization.
Nearly a week after the initial decision, campus is still buzzing from the news, and the social media aftershock is still happening. Komen attention abounded again Tuesday when the organization’s vice president, Karen Handel, resigned.
According to The Associated Press, Planned Parenthood said the grants it received from the Komen Foundation totaled about $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before. In the time that Komen withdrew its support, Planned Parenthood received more than four times that amount in private donations.
“The outpouring of support online for Planned Parenthood and women in need of breast cancer screenings has been nothing short of astonishing,” according to a statement by Planned Parenthood. “And because of it, the Planned Parenthood Breast Health Fund has received more than $3 million from thousands of people across the country in only three days.”
The story said the charity stopped funding Planned Parenthood because of newly adopted criteria that keeps it from funding organizations that are under investigation. Planned Parenthood is currently the focus of an inquiry launched by a Republican representative from Florida.
But Planned Parenthood officials said on its site that the Komen Foundation withdrew support because it was facing “pressure from anti-women’s health political organizations.”
English sophomore Megan Shay said she found the Komen Foundation’s initial decision disheartening.
“It’s kind of sad that they’re getting caught up in politics,” she said.
Shay said the biggest consequence could be the way people view the foundation.
“Either way, no one’s going to be happy,” she said. “Pro-life people are going to be mad they’re supporting Planned Parenthood, and pro-choice people are going to think they’re flip-flopping. It was just a bad move.”
Alex Fields, anthropology sophomore, said she thought the foundation’s initial decision was upsetting because of the many services Planned Parenthood offers to people who may not be able to afford them otherwise.
“They have all this money, and they’re fighting breast cancer, which is a great cause,” she said. “But they’re also promoting awareness — that’s what Planned Parenthood does.”
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]