Article in The Federalist details the facts behind an exchange between Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards and Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz about an AUL Infographic during a hearing this week

Contact: Kristi Hamrick, 202-289-1478, press@aul.org 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2015 /Standard Newswire/ -- During a sometimes-contentious hearing before a congressional committee this week, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards faced an unusual reality for her answering tough questions about just what takes place behind the closed doors of the nation's number one abortion provider. During an exchange between Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Richards, an infographic from Americans United for Life that illustrates the reality that the number of abortions taking place at Planned Parenthood is going UP, while the number of health care screenings is going DOWN, was displayed. "Despite this simple reality that Planned Parenthood is Abortion, Inc. – doing one in three abortions today – activist media sites exploded in a furry of smoke and mirrors, trying to critique the visual rather than discuss the mathematical reality behind it. We should not be surprised that abortion activists in the media were worried about a picture worth a thousand of their angry words. Americans are waking up to the fact that Planned Parenthood makes more money all the time from abortions, while cutting life-saving healthcare. Women would be better served in Community Health Centers that provide full-service, real healthcare," said AUL President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest.

In a piece posted today at The Federalist, AUL Attorney Anna Paprocki addressed the misinformation in media attacks of the infographic, and more importantly, addressed the reality of Planned Parenthood's expanding abortion business even as the number of abortions has been reported to be declining. Headlined: "At Planned Parenthood, Abortion Is Up, Health Care Is Down," Paprocki notes, "Abortion is on the rise at Planned Parenthood, and life-saving care is decreasing. All the spin in the world will not overcome that reality."

She observes: "The infographic in question is a simple illustration created by Americans United for Life of two trends that have undeniably occurred at Planned Parenthood under Cecile Richards' leadership: a decrease in cancer screening services and an increase in abortions. There is nothing dishonest about highlighting those opposite trends. Abortion is big business at Planned Parenthood, and under Cecile Richards' leadership, the industry leader in ending the lives of the unborn has gone from doing 1 in 5 abortions to 1 in 3.

"For anyone that is interested, Americans United for Life has produced a huge body of work analyzing Planned Parenthood's business model, including charts of all kinds spelling these trends out in detail, much to the ire of the abortion lobby.

"Of course, there is no need to quibble over an infographic—unless you intend to miss the forest for the trees … When Richards was confronted with questions about Planned Parenthood's service figures—which come from Planned Parenthood's own annual reports—she tried to hide behind a recently changed recommendation for the frequency of pap smears to explain the documented steady decline in all of Planned Parenthood's cancer screening services since she took over the organization in 2006.

"Breast health services have been chopped nearly in half since 2006. Notably, the steady decline in Planned Parenthood's breast health services has continued despite Planned Parenthood fundraising millions of dollars in 2012 by defaming the Susan G. Komen Foundation when the cancer research organization tried to update its grant standards to ensure money was going to comprehensive healthcare providers, rather than "pass-through" organizations like Planned Parenthood.

"Again this is significant. Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms. They only refer women to those who do."

To read the entire article, debunking the media's claims regarding Planned Parenthood's "services," click here. To learn more about AUL's analysis of PPFA's business model, which includes trafficking in infant body parts, click here.

Americans United for Life (AUL) is the legal architect of the pro-life movement. We are accumulating victories, building momentum, and advancing a culture of life in America. Our vision is a nation in which everyone is welcomed in life and protected in law. The first national pro-life organization in America, AUL has been committed to defending human life since 1971.