Planned Parenthood Action Fund Launches New TV Ad with Cancer Doctor Describing the Organization’s Critical Role in Preventive Health Care
For Immediate Release: May 11, 2012
Ad Urges the Senate to Reject House Proposal to Bar Planned Parenthood from All Federal Initiatives, Including Medicaid
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund today launched a new TV spot featuring Dr. Jason Wright, a cancer specialist from the Columbia University Medical Center, describing the vital role Planned Parenthood plays as a health care provider.
During the 30-second spot, Dr. Wright describes Planned Parenthood’s lifesaving work in detecting early cancers, saying, “Beating cancer is a lot easier when it’s caught early. That’s why doctors like me, who treat cancer, are grateful for Planned Parenthood.”
The TV ad will air on network and cable TV in the Washington, DC, media market.
View the ad HERE (script below).
Dr. Wright is the Levine Family Assistant Professor of Women's Health at Columbia University Medical Center's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Wright is a practicing physician who treats women with all gynecologic cancers.
The ad is running while the Senate considers recent efforts by the House leadership to eliminate the nation’s 40-year-old family planning program (Title X) and bar Planned Parenthood from providing any federally reimbursed services, including cervical cancer screenings, breast exams, annual visits, birth control, and tests for STIs, including HIV.
“Dr. Wright is speaking out on behalf of doctors across the country, who understand the importance of the preventive care and lifesaving early cancer screenings that Planned Parenthood health centers provide,” said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “That’s why we are urging the Senate to reject the extreme proposal to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal funds for preventive health care.”
Each year, three million patients rely on Planned Parenthood for preventive health care, and one woman in five has received care from Planned Parenthood.
Every year, Planned Parenthood’s doctors and nurses carry out nearly one million screenings for cervical cancer and 830,000 breast exams. Its health centers also provide affordable birth control to nearly 2.5 million patients and perform nearly four million tests for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
AD SCRIPT:
(Read Ad Backup HERE.)
Dr. Wright: “Beating cancer is a lot easier when it’s caught early.”
Dr. Wright: “That’s why doctors like me, who treat cancer, are grateful for Planned Parenthood.”
Dr. Wright: “Every year, Planned Parenthood’s health centers provide lifesaving care to three million patients, including millions of screenings and breast exams that catch cancer in the early, treatable stages.”
Dr. Wright: “But the House of Representatives voted to take away this care.”
Dr. Wright: “Now, it’s up to the Senate to save Planned Parenthood, so its health centers can continue saving women’s lives.”
BACKGROUND:
The House Appropriations Committee’s FY11 continuing resolution completely eliminates the national family planning program (Title X), which supports comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. Gutting Title X would deny preventive care to five million American women.
In addition, the House recently passed Rep. Mike Pence’s (R-IN) amendment to the House Republican spending plan. The amendment would bar Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal funding from Medicaid, from HIV screening and infertility prevention grants, or from maternal and child health grants. It would also block funding to provide women with breast and cervical cancer screenings. This proposal passed the House of Representatives, even though these programs have wide bipartisan support and do not include abortion services. Unless the Senate reverses it, this unprecedented, ideological attack on a specific health care provider will eliminate the primary and preventive health care that millions of American women rely on.