Editor’s note. This is the latest instance of where we look back at what ran in NRL News Today on this date in years past.
In 1968, the Guttmacher Institute was housed within the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). According to its official history, the Institute was incorporated as an independent nonprofit policy research institute in 1977, but remained a special affiliate of PPFA.
In 2007, the special affiliation status of the Guttmacher Institute with Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) was terminated, and PPFA’s financial support to the Institute, which constituted 3.3% of the Institute’s total budget, was phased out over the following three years. In essence, the Guttmacher Institute was born, nurtured, and eventually spun off from PPFA.
The reason for this historical overview is to demonstrate that the Guttmacher Institute, which purports to be independent, is in fact aligned with the policy objectives of Planned Parenthood. Consequently, its research is accorded the highest level of respect by the media. In contrast, the media treats the words of pro-life advocates with disdain or dismisses them outright. Conversely, the media lauds the conclusions of the Guttmacher Institute.
This is particularly evident in the context of state laws, such as those requiring that obstetricians and gynecologists perform abortions and have admitting privileges at a local hospital in the event of complications.
Guttmacher’s Elizabeth Nash and Megan K. Donovan have argued that admitting privileges are “unnecessary” and will “imperil abortion access” (although to maintain the façade of objectivity, the last three words are followed by a question mark).
It is evident that from the perspective of those who advocate for abortion rights, there are no benefits to requiring abortionists to be able to follow the women they have aborted to a hospital. This is despite the fact that Nash and Donovan have stated otherwise. For them, “continuity of care” is merely a pro-life talking point. However, it is a fact that having admitting privileges at a local hospital is critical, particularly if the health of women is of concern.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
