Planned Parenthood has been a topic of conversation lately, and usually the discussion has not been positive. Whether it’s a candidate calling for defunding the organization, a self-righteous man shooting up a clinic, or unscrupulous persons fabricating a video to portray Planned Parenthood in a negative light, the news has been filled with ideas of what people think Planned Parenthood is all about. What has been largely missing from the discussion is what Planned Parenthood is actually about.

Margaret Sanger opened the first clinic in New York in 1916 at a time when sharing information about birth control was against the law as it was considered “obscene.” From the first judicial victory in 1936 through the early 1980s, Planned Parenthood was a respected and powerful voice in the women’s health movement. With a mission of funding research; educating specialists and the public; providing contraceptives and health care to women and men; advancing access to family planning in the United States and abroad; and advocating for pubic policies that guarantee the right to access, the organization has been an integral player in improving the lives of millions of people each year. Often, Planned Parenthood is the only health care provider in rural areas, and often the only resource available to poor women. In fact, one in five women in the United States will use Planned Parenthood services. Let’s work to change the conversation back to the positive good that the organization does for the health of our people.