What would life be like without Planned Parenthood? The answer is alarming, and thanks to filmmaker and director, Max Turner, we can glimpse that unsettling reality. Turner created a poignant short film titled “UNLOCKED,” which highlights the critical role that Planned Parenthood health centers play in the lives of countless women across the nation.
In this powerful video, we follow the journeys of three women facing pivotal moments in their lives. The film portrays the tragic outcomes that occur when Planned Parenthood is no longer available for those in need. One woman succumbs to cancer, another contracts a sexually transmitted infection, and a third faces an unexpected pregnancy that jeopardizes her college scholarship. These scenarios emerge solely because Planned Parenthood was absent in their lives, illustrating a world that is not just bleak—it’s catastrophic.
Halfway through the short film, the narrative rewinds to a time when these women received the essential help they needed from Planned Parenthood. One mother is seen celebrating her birthday after receiving vital cancer screenings, a young woman benefits from safe sex education, avoiding an STD, and the third woman successfully pursues her college education. The grim reality depicted by Turner isn’t just a hypothetical scenario; it’s a situation that is beginning to unfold. Recent legislative actions threaten to strip Medicaid reimbursements from Planned Parenthood, which could leave millions without access to fundamental health services, including STD testing, contraception, and cancer screenings.
As Turner stated, “If lawmakers succeed in defunding Planned Parenthood, countless individuals will lose access to essential health services. This film illustrates the dire consequences of living in a world without Planned Parenthood.” It’s critical to clarify that the term “defunding” is misleading. As Lauren Adams, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, explains, there is no direct federal funding for the organization; instead, this legislation would obstruct millions from accessing the care they rely on. Federal law already prohibits any federal funds from being allocated to abortion services; thus, these proposed cuts would primarily impact preventative care that saves lives.
If these defunding efforts succeed, the 2.5 million people who rely on Planned Parenthood could find themselves facing the very challenges depicted in Turner’s film. A look at Texas serves as a cautionary example—after implementing similar policies, the state saw a significant decline in women receiving critical health services. Reports indicated that nearly 30,000 fewer women accessed essential care, and there was a concerning 27% rise in births among those who lost access to effective contraception. Additionally, Texas has experienced a doubling of its maternal mortality rate since 2010, a consequence of strict funding cuts to women’s health care.
In Iowa, the impact of new laws has already led to the closure of four Planned Parenthood clinics, leaving over 14,600 patients without the care they desperately need. The evidence is clear: communities, families, and women suffer greatly in the absence of Planned Parenthood. Why would we choose to replicate this situation on a national scale?
As Turner’s film comes to a close, viewers are left with a thought-provoking question: What kind of world do we truly want to live in?
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In summary, the emotional PSA “UNLOCKED” starkly illustrates the potential fallout from defunding Planned Parenthood, emphasizing the vital services these centers provide and the devastating consequences that could arise without them.