For Planned Parenthood

Your paper has given coverage to the recent demonstrations by the opponents of abortion who are picketing doctors who perform abortions. While no one likes that abortions are necessary, they are a needed option for women.

Planned Parenthood is planning to open a clinic in the South Bay to provide a full range of reproductive services including abortion, but more importantly, to provide family planning services and education so that abortions will not be necessary that often. Less than 7% of Planned Parenthood’s budget goes for services related to abortion and most of its efforts are to provide family planning services and education so women can have wanted and healthy children.

I am as alarmed as anyone about the number of teen-age pregnancies and the problems they create for the teens, their children and all of society. Planned Parenthood is committed to counteracting the super-sexually saturated society our children are growing up in that gives an unrealistic view of sex, by providing correct information and education. Their programs encourage adolescents to postpone sexual involvement and teach responsible decision-making and effective refusal skills.

Teens need information, and while parents should be their primary sex educators, this should also be reinforced by education in the schools. As an instructor of Health Science classes that deal with human sexuality at California State University, Long Beach, I have had many students who share that their parents told them very little about sex, and that this lack of knowledge caused them many problems, including pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and emotional distress. I have also done presentations in high schools in the South Bay and hear the questions of students who are dealing with our permissive society, raging hormones, silent parents and ignorance of sexual topics. This confusion will only lead to more difficulties. We all have become painfully aware of the problems facing Los Angeles. Planned Parenthood is part of the solution to these problems.

BOBBI MITZENMACHER, Palos Verdes Estates