Expository Essay

Is It Purposeful?

Healthcare in general has been a topic of discussion for the majority of human history. Without healthcare, people would be dying of easily cured diseases and infections, and people would be living less full lives. With the cost of healthcare rising at an all time high of 7% in 2014 (highest it has been since the recession of 2007) healthcare is becoming less affordable for lower income families. To add to problems, certain states are creating laws that limit the access of reproductive services. There is a huge problem in the US, healthcare is becoming exclusive to those upper middle class and above. Funding has been cut for healthcare within schools, in lower income neighborhoods, and for programs such as planned parenthood. These cuts not only rise pregnancy rates within underprivileged communities, but pushes stigmas about certain racial groups.

In 2013, Texas passed an anti abortion act that would impact the lives of thousands of women. With the new law in place, 37 of the 42 abortion clinics would be shut down. These abortion clinics are in neighborhoods that need them or use their education and prevention methods. A 2010 Census results reveal that Planned Parenthood is targeting minority neighborhoods. 79% of its surgical abortion facilities are located within walking distance of African American or Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods. Limiting access to clinics such as planned parenthood, harm communities. Planned parenthood offers free sex education, free condoms and free appointments to see healthcare practitioners. It has been proven than these clinics help lower unwanted pregnancy rates and help women seek medical attention after. Once free clinics such as these are taken away, the number of unwanted pregnancy and sti’s increase.

In “ For Colored Girls” Juanita Sims ( a victim of emotionally abusive relationships) wants to open up a free health clinic in her lower income neighborhood. She was denied many grants and loans but she did not lose faith and had a will to find a way to open up her clinic. At the end of the play, Juanita gets a check from Miss Joanna Bradmore. The rich magazine editor. She sees a need in the lower income black neighborhood of her assistant Crystal. Once Joanna see’s how Crystal has been beaten, and a young girl pregnant and about to go to college, she hands over a large check to Juanita. At the end of the play, there is a scene of Juanita in her new clinic teaching what is assumed at risk young women about sex. This explanation of the play adds to the point that taking away funding from at risk neighborhoods only creates more problems.

There is a direct correlation between low income and unwanted pregnancies as well as those going to get back alley abortions due to money constraints. This correlation does not mean causation, but if a planned parenthood were to be placed in neighborhoods with a need, statistical outcomes would decline. According to a planned parenthood fact sheet, “In 2012, we provided nearly 11 million medical services for nearly three million people, and helped to prevent approximately 515,000 unintended pregnancies. Seventy-nine percent of our clients have incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level” . With numbers like these, it is insane to think that the government is cutting funding for programs and clinics such as planned parenthood. With politics comes strong beliefs in pro choice or anti choice when it comes to abortion and planned/non-planned parenthood. There is a chart at the bottom of an article titled “This is What Happens When You Defund Planned Parenthood” and it gives a scary statistic “23,760 births from unplanned pregnancies projected in 2014-15 costing the taxpayer up to $273 Million”. Politicians have decided to cut funding to “save money” but are ending up COSTING them more money. With planned parenthood gone, comes a lot of unwanted pregnancies. And with that comes a social and racial bias.

It is an askewed belief that whites have more access to healthcare than African Americans do. As it is also a belief that whites have more access to education than African Americans or Latinos do. Race-ethnic variation in the extent of accurate knowledge about sexual and reproductive health as well as attitudes toward sexuality and fertility – what can be considered an individual's “sexual literacy” (Reinisch and Beasley 1990) – may be an important factor in unintended fertility disparities, yet few studies have adequately examined differences in sexual and reproductive health knowledge across different race-ethnic groups. Society has pushed those to believe that whites are less likely to get pregnant because of money and education. While there are correlation charts, all are inconclusive. This is because no one single race can be categorized and put into a false stereotype without legitimate evidence. It is media and small mindedness that has led people to believe that it is the fault of racial groups. When in reality, it is the poor economy and health care system that has led negative stigmas. Throughout my research, I have come to the conclusion that stigmas have been brought on by the poor running of our country’s government. Funding cuts and a lack of effort towards underprivileged communities cause a lack of sex education that leads to unwanted pregnancies and a missing system to fall back on for options other than adoption or keeping the child.