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In light of the recent accusations made against Planned Parenthood, PHEWA network Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options (PARO) has taken it upon themselves to respond to some of the more distressing charges. Many thanks to the Rev. Mark Pawlowski for his hard work and meticulous research in writing this piece. It can be found in downloadable PDF form on our website as well as reprinting it here in the body of this e-letter. We also invite you to link to the PC(USA) website page that contains the response of the Advocacy Committee on Women’s Concerns (ACWC).
Dispelling the Myth: Fetal Tissue Research and Planned Parenthood
It’s a little known fact – and a discomforting thought for those who have chosen to vilify Planned Parenthood because of recent “sting” videos – that fetal tissue research in the U.S. began before abortion was legal. As is the case presently, so too then, fetal tissue donations came from universities and hospitals.
That research was conducted sixty years ago with great respect and ethical sensitivity seems to be ignored, as well as the results which brought significan breakthroughs and major discoveries in the eradication of human diseases. To date, here is the partial list: vaccines against Chickenpox, Rubella/Measles/Shingles/Rabies, and Hepatitis A.
It’s also a little known fact that the polio vaccine was developed from fetal kidney cells – an achievement for which the 1954 Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded.
As U.S. News and World Report noted in August, 2015, “Scientists use fetal tissue to study how the human body develops, to better understand and solve developmental abnormalities such as Down Syndrom or malformation of organs, the causes of miscarriages or sudden infant death syndrome. Fetal tissue research has helped medical providers diagnose genetic diseases before birth.”
In 2014 the National Institutes of Health spent $76 million on fetal tissue research.
It can be argued and lamented that such significant and sensitive research continued throughout the years without proper interpretation and rationale by the medical and scientific communities to the larger society. Be that as it may, in 1993, the Office for Human Research Protections promulgated Public Law 103-43 which established the ethical procedures for fetal tissue research that continue to this day.
In defense of several (out of 600) of its health centers donating (not selling) fetal tissue, Planned Parenthood in part referenced the history of ethical and medical protocols and procedures it follows – the very same procedures that are identical to programs at hospitals and universities across the country.
The genesis of outrage initially against Planned Parenthood began with the release of eight videos alleging wrongdoing, i.e. selling fetal tissue for profit. It is significant to note that the organization that created the tapes is called the Center for Medical Progress (CMP). It’s leadership is documented as being connected with bombings of women’s health centers as well as the murder of an abortion provider.
The video excerpts themselves, while perpetuating a myth of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood, are problematic to say the least since they provide no context for CMP’s allegations (the tapes spurred five state investigations into Planned Parenthood – in all five states no wrongdoing was found). Not helping their cause was the fact that the videos contained at least 42 splices that portrayed seamless conversations and statements that changed the meaning of what was actually said in order to reinforce the false claims being made.
Finally, Planned Parenthood in a press release stated, “that the secretly recorded videos were heavily edited and significantly distort and misrepresent actual events.” Three teams of experts, including a video science instructor at the FBI National Academy, noted that supposed “full footage” that the group (CMP) has released “is edited, inaccurate, and unreliable,” as are transcripts that the group has produced. The experts noted that “no unedited source footage has been released.”
Planned Parenthood, for its part, acknowledged that several of its health centers participated in accordance with all ethical and procedural mandates in fetal tissue donation programs.
This brief overview of the facts and history of fetal tissue research, coupled with the recent attacks on Planned Parenthood, plainly reveals the reality of the anti-abortion movement’s extreme motives. Those motives either deny or are unaware of the very reality of the live-saving medicines and scientific discoveries already discovered, and threaten those yet to come by the elimination of fetal tissue research.
For further reading:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1510281
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1510279?af=R&rss=currentIssue
http://www.ascb.org/newsfiles/fetaltissue.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231997/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172669/
http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/07/21/the-extreme-and-violent-background-of-the-group/204519
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2015/08/31/group-attacking-planned-parenthood-linked-extremists
It is our hope that this information is both informative and helpful to you.
In Joy and Justice,
Rev. Trina Zelle
Executive Director/National Organizer
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