(Apologies in advance for the audio–since this was a press conference more than a live address, Senator Murray wasn’t provided with amplification.)
Friday, February 3, Patty Murray made an appearance at Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest’s offices in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, planned in advance of news that Susan G. Komen For the Cure would reverse its decision to defund grants awarded to Planned Parenthood.
Flanked by PPGN CEO Chris Charbonneau and a board member who denounced this latest attempt at “bullying” Planned Parenthood, Murray expressed delight at the news of the reversal, tempered by the need, she said, to remain “vigilant.” (For the record, Komen has only promised to consider future grant applications from Planned Parenthood, which is not a hard promise to make, if it helps get you out of a media firestorm.)
In Washington State, the women’s health organization saw donations of $50,000 since the Komen announcement, with about $3 million raised nationally.
Seattlepi.com’s Joel Connelly summarizes what Planned Parenthood has to do with breast cancer, if you’re wondering:
Nationwide, Planned Parenthood clinics did 750,000 breast exams last year. In Washington, an estimated 31,000 patients depend on Planned Parenthood for breast exams. Lindgren received a mammogram and an ultrasound test. About 1,000 breast exams, in the Northwest, were paid for last year by grants from Komen, said Planned Parent’s region CEO Chris Charbonneau.
According to the Seattle Times and Seattle PI, Planned Parenthood does only physical breast exams that anyone can do themselves nor are they recommended by the medical community as a fail safe method. If anything odd is found the patient is then referred to a doctor for a mammogram and further treatment. Planned Parenthood is more of a referral service than anything else. But they have been a third party surviving on federal grants for ages.
In one sense, yes, anyone can perform a breast exam, but a clinical breast exam is different in that, by definition, it is performed by a medical professional who very likely has more experience conducting breast exams than than just “anyone.” In many cases where the object is to detect a cancer before it kills you, people like to have that extra expertise on their side.