Planned Parenthood is used to threats. But the threatened cutoff of taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood from Republicans in Congress has officials at the organization alarmed.
Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest operates 12 clinics in San Diego County, five in Riverside County, and one in Imperial County. Collectively, they treated more than 137,000 people last year.
The organization is a leading provider of family planning services, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and screenings for breast and cervical cancer.
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The vast majority of its revenue comes from a combination of state and federal funding.
Cita Walsh, vice president of communications for the Pacific Southwest chapter of Planned Parenthood, said the loss of federal money could be catastrophic.
“Defunding Planned Parenthood could cause an increase in cancer deaths, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV," she said.
Planned Parenthood celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year.
A 2015 Gallup survey found 59 percent of Americans support the organization.
