On Monday, Nov. 13, Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) at LSU had a table outside of the Student Union in Free Speech Plaza. While giving out their usual condoms, candy, buttons, stickers and brochures, they also encouraged passersby to take pictures with a sign that read the following: “I went to Planned Parenthood and ALL I got was: A Mammogram. A Pap Smear. A Physical Exam. STT Testing and Treatment. Info and Counseling about my sexual/reproductive health. Cancer Screenings. A Pregnancy Test. And Access to Affordable Birth Control. #IStandWithPP.”
This sign indicates that people who go to Planned Parenthood can receive any and all of the services listed. This is not only misleading, it is flat out wrong.
While people do go to Planned Parenthood for various reasons, it is well documented that Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms. They may offer referrals to mammograms, but no clinic can actually perform a mammogram. In fact, in 2015, Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, testified the following before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, “We do not have mammogram machines at our health centers, and we’ve never stated that we did.”
This is something that the people at PPGA at LSU failed to understand, and instead they proudly promoted this misinformation all day in Free Speech Plaza. When asked for sources, they could provide none, but insisted they existed. When asked if they knew of any particular clinics that provided this service for women, they simply said that clinics all over the nation did.
The idea that Planned Parenthood provides mammograms has been at the source of many “investigations” by pro-life groups and Planned Parenthood has, over and over again, had to correct those who claim that they do mammograms. PPGA at LSU should not be promulgating a false narrative concerning any organization, much less their title organization. It wasn’t until the next day Nov. 14, on their Instagram account, that they admit to using “outdated” information and “incorrect verbiage” and not fact checking the source of their quote before using it for photo-ops.
If PPGA seeks to be a source of credible information, especially concerning its title organization, then they should do research before they paste slogans on their sign. Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms. And that’s a fact. There is enough discussion and debate surrounding Planned Parenthood without this misinformation being repeated by their own group.
You can find images on their Instagram account with the sign, and see the edit they made in the caption.
Catherine Stewart
Co-president, Pro-Life LSU
