Planned Parenthood Federation of America, or Planned Parenthood, is an organization that provides reproductive health services and abortions both in the U.S. and abroad. In 1921, Socialist Party and American Eugenics Society member Margaret Sanger founded the American Birth Control League. In 1942, the organization was renamed Planned Parenthood. ¹⁰ It also lobbied for and won the passage of the Title X Family Planning Program in 1970, which subsidized contraception for low-income families. After abortion was legalized nationwide in the Roe v. Wade court decision in 1973, Planned Parenthood became an abortion provider. ¹⁴ The story also notes several examples of state clinics that are understaffed, are in need of supplies and repairs, and have seen botched abortion procedures. The story notes that employees have admitted local clinics were seeing a rise in inexperienced staff, problems with training, longer waits for procedures, as well as issues with booking appointments while, “several former employees who have quit or were fired spoke openly about conditions in the clinics.” ¹⁴

The report also noted that local Planned Parenthood clinics “are primarily funded by Medicaid payments for non-abortion procedures and donors who give directly to the affiliates.” ¹⁴ In addition, as of February 2024 the states of Arkansas, Missouri and Texas have passed legislation preventing local clinics from receiving Medicaid payments, which were described as “an essential source of revenue.” ¹⁴ Finally, the story notes that if President Donald Trump bans abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from receiving Title X federal family funding, as he did during his First Administration, it would cost the organization roughly $60 million in federal funding. ¹⁴

The story continues by claiming that “[o]ver the last five years, the national office has distributed more than $899 million to affiliates to help them deliver care, but none of it went directly to medical services.” ¹⁴ Instead, it notes how much of this amount instead went to, “legal support, public campaigns to expand abortion access and subsidies for patient navigators who help patients access abortions.” ¹⁴

Second Trump Administration Activism

In July 2025, Planned Parenthood announced it was planning to sue the Second Trump Administration over a provision within the 2025 reconciliation bill, also known as the “Big Beautiful Bil,” that would prevent the organization’s clinics and care providers from receiving Medicaid or other Federal funding for one year. In response to the Bill’s passage, Planned Parenthood president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson released a statement saying, “Everyone deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care…[t]hat’s what we’ve been fighting for the last century — and we’ll never stop. We’ll be suing the Trump administration to stop this unlawful attack. See you in court.” ¹⁵ The organization has claimed that up to 200 of its 600 clinics and providers across the United States could be forced to close within the year due to the lack of federal funding, with others calling the provision within the Bill a “backdoor abortion ban.” ¹⁵

Gender Transition Practices

As of 2018 and 2019, Planned Parenthood has increasingly engaged in transgender lobbying and providing hormone treatments, and even provide referrals for patients to locations that can provide gender-transition surgeries. ³⁴
Anderson also believes that the organization employes staff that are not equipped for discussing the long-term effects of transition drugs and the “developmental trajectory,” with patients dealing with medical or mental health issues including autism. ³⁴ Gender transition guidelines written by the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychiatry states that, “Because it is often harder for an adolescent with [autism] to comprehend the long-term risks and implications of gender-related medical interventions…consenting for treatment may be more complex in this population.” ³⁴ Even the transition guidelines for minors recommended by the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) call for, “comprehensive” evaluations by experts on autism and other disorders – [that] are “often relevant” to young adults. ³⁴ The organization has also been accused of having inconsistent standardized testing, warnings about hormonal treatment, and the lab work conducted in PPAF clinics across the country. According to Anderson, PPAF, “hasn’t exerted any influence to make things uniform,” Anderson said. “I don’t think they have a grip on the fundamental difference between hormone therapy and reproductive health care.” ³⁴

Media Influence

In September 2019, the Washington Post reported that Planned Parenthood has advised on over 150 Hollywood television and film productions since 2014 in order to shape the perception of abortion through pop culture. ³⁹

Richards was succeeded in November 2018 by Leana Wen. ⁴⁵ Many celebrities donated to Planned Parenthood after the 2016 election after HBO late night comedian John Oliver called on them to donate to the organization in Vice President Mike Pence’s name.⁵⁰

1. Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 2014-15 Annual Report. 2015. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/2114/5089/0863/2014-2015_PPFA_Annual_Report_.pdf.
2. Woodruff, Betsy. “Justice Department Moves To Investigate Planned Parenthood’s Fetal Tissue Practices.” The Daily Beast. December 07, 2017. Accessed December 08, 2017. https://www.thedailybeast.com/justice-department-moves-to-investigate-planned-parenthoods-fetal-tissue-practices.
3. Latson, Jennifer. “What Margaret Sanger Really Said About Eugenics And Race”. Time. 2016. http://time.com/4081760/margaret-sanger-history-eugenics/.
4. Grimaldi, Jill. “Sanger’S First Clinic”. Margaret Sanger Papers Project. 2010. https://sangerpapers.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/sangers-first-clinic/.
5. “MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations”. NYU. Accessed February 9, 2017. https://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/aboutms/organization_abcl.php.
6. “The Horrifying American Roots Of Nazi Eugenics”. History News Network. 2017. http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/1796.
7. “The Public Papers Of Margaret Sanger: Web Edition”. NYU. Accessed February 9, 2017. https://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/webedition/app/documents/show.php?sangerDoc=238946.xml.
8. Kengor, Paul. “Reflections On Roe: When Margaret Sanger Spoke To The KKK”. The American Spectator. 2015. https://spectator.org/61552_reflections-roe-when-margaret-sanger-spoke-kkk/.
9. Robertson, Lori. “Cain’s False Attack On Planned Parenthood”. Factcheck.Org. 2011. http://www.factcheck.org/2011/11/cains-false-attack-on-planned-parenthood/.
10. O’Connor, Karen. Gender And Women’s Leadership. 1st ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Reference. 2010.
11. Bolotnikova, Marina N. “The Path of Most Resistance.” Harvard Magazine. May 30, 2019. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2019/05/commencement-cecile-richards.
12. Chozick, Amy. “Planned Parenthood, in Its First Primary Endorsement, Backs Hillary Clinton.” The New York Times. January 07, 2016. Accessed June 04, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/07/planned-parenthood-in-its-first-primary-endorsement-backs-hillary-clinton/.
13. Hauser, Christine. “A Handmaid’s Tale of Protest.” The New York Times. June 30, 2017. Accessed June 04, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/30/us/handmaids-protests-abortion.html.
14. Benner, Katie. “Botched Care and Tired Staff: Planned Parenthood in Crisis.” New York Times, February 15, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/us/planned-parenthood-clinics.html
15. Gleason, Moira. “Planned Parenthood Vows to Sue Trump Administration.” National Review, July 3, 2025. https://www.nationalreview.com/news/planned-parenthood-vows-to-sue-trump-administration/
16. Parenthood, Planned. “Transgender Hormone Services.” Planned Parenthood. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-mar-monte/patient-resources/transgender-services.
17. Parenthood, Planned. “Planned Parenthood Annual Report.” Planned Parenthood. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/facts-figures/annual-report.
18. “The Inequality of the Equality Act: Concerns from the Left.” The Heritage Foundation. January 28, 2019. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.heritage.org/event/the-inequality-the-equality-act-concerns-the-left.
19. McHugh, Paul. “Transgender Surgery Isn’t the Solution.” The Wall Street Journal. May 13, 2016. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-mchugh-transgender-surgery-isnt-the-solution-1402615120.
20. “Planned Parenthood – St Louis.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-st-louis/.
21. “Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-of-wisconsin-inc/.
22. “Planned Parenthood – Charlottesville.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-charlottesville/.
23. “Planned Parenthood – York.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-york/.
24. “Planned Parenthood – Chapel Hill.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-chapel-hill/.
25. “Planned Parenthood- Wichita Health Ctr.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-wichita-health-ctr/.
26. “Planned Parenthood – Kalamazoo.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-kalamazoo/.
27. “Planned Parenthood Center for Choice – Stafford.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-center-for-choice-stafford/.
28. “Planned Parenthood Orlando.” Check My Clinic. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://checkmyclinic.org/clinics/planned-parenthood-tampa/.
29. Ian Birrell for The Mail on Sunday. “British Sexual Health Charity Handed £132m in Foreign Aid ‘provided Prostitutes for Staff’.” Daily Mail Online. May 19, 2019. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7045455/British-sexual-health-charity-handed-132m-foreign-aid-provided-prostitutes-staff.html.
30. [1] Ian Birrell for The Mail on Sunday. “British Sexual Health Charity Handed £132m in Foreign Aid ‘provided Prostitutes for Staff’.” Daily Mail Online. May 19, 2019. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7045455/British-sexual-health-charity-handed-132m-foreign-aid-provided-prostitutes-staff.html.
31. Lenny Bernstein, Ariana Eunjung Cha, Amy Goldstein. “Planned Parenthood ousts leader after less than a year.” Washington Post. July 16, 2019. Accessed July 17, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/head-of-planned-parenthood-forced-out-after-eight-months/2019/07/16/c726b078-a7d3-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html?utm_term=.7a193ceb00cb
32. Tweet, Dr. Leana Wen. July 16, 2019. Accessed July 17, 2019. Original URL: https://twitter.com/DrLeanaWen/status/1151222286692900864. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/leana-wen-tweet-firing-07.2019.png
33. Emma O’Connor, Ruby Cramer. “Planned Parenthood Has Ousted Its President, Leana Wen, Amid A Dispute Over The Organization’s Direction.” Buzzfeed News. July 16, 2019. Accessed July 17, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emaoconnor/leana-wen-out-planned-parenthood-president
34. Sibarium, Aaron. “Planned Parenthood is Helping Teenagers Transition After a 30 Minute Consult. Parents and Doctors are Sounding the Alarm.” Washington Free Beacon, October 4, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/planned-parenthood-is-helping-teenagers-transition-after-a-30-minute-consult-parents-and-doctors-are-sounding-the-alarm/
35. Olohan, Margaret. “Planned Parenthood Advised Hollywood On More Than 150 Movies And Shows Since 2014, Director Says.” The Daily Caller, September 24, 2019. https://dailycaller.com/2019/09/24/planned-parenthood-hollywood/
36. Lenny Bernstein, Ariana Eunjung Cha, Amy Goldstein. “Planned Parenthood ousts leader after less than a year.” Washington Post. July 16, 2019. Accessed July 17, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/head-of-planned-parenthood-forced-out-after-eight-months/2019/07/16/c726b078-a7d3-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html?utm_term=.7a193ceb00cb
37. Alexis McGill Johnson. LinkedIn. Accessed July 17, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-mcgill-johnson-9328b459/
38. Howard, Jacqueline. “Planned Parenthood Picks Baltimore Health Commissioner as New President.” CNN. September 12, 2018. Accessed September 12, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/12/health/planned-parenthood-president-leana-wen-bn/index.html.
39. OConnor, Ruby Cramer Ema. “Cecile Richards Plans To Step Down As President Of Planned Parenthood, After More Than A Decade.” BuzzFeed. January 24, 2018. Accessed January 24, 2018. https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/cecile-richards-plans-to-step-down-as-president-of-planned?utm_term=.ksAgMoXmQe#.kezpV7WQ3N.
40. Jessen, Leah. “Does Your State Fund Planned Parenthood?”. The Daily Signal. 2016. http://dailysignal.com/2016/10/18/15-states-have-moved-to-defund-planned-parenthood-funding-since-undercover-videos-were-released/.
41. The Center For Medical Progress. “How Planned Parenthood Profits From Fetal Tissue “Donation.” 2016. http://www.centerformedicalprogress.org/human-capital/how-planned-parenthood-profits-from-fetal-tissue-donation/.
42. Karlamangla, Christopher. “Orange County Prosecutors File Suit Against Biological Suppliers, Alleging Unlawful Pricing Of Fetal Tissue”. LA Times. 2016. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fetal-tissue-charges-orange-county-20161012-snap-story.html.
43. Ertelt, Steven. “Pro-Life Group Lists Every Company Backing Planned Parenthood | Lifenews.Com”. Lifenews.Com. 2016. http://www.lifenews.com/2016/04/26/pro-life-group-lists-every-company-backing-planned-parenthood/.
44. Balan, Matthew. “Lin-Manuel Miranda, Who Wrote Broadway Musical “Hamilton,” Donates To Planned Parenthood | Lifenews.Com”. Lifenews.Com. 2016. http://www.lifenews.com/2016/11/29/lin-manuel-miranda-who-wrote-broadway-musical-hamilton-donates-to-planned-parenthood/.
45. Westfall, Sandra and Tierney McAfee. “Celebrities Tweet Support For Planned Parenthood With Hashtag #Standwithpp”. PEOPLE. 2015. http://people.com/celebrity/celebrities-tweet-support-for-planned-parenthood-with-hashtag-standwithpp/
46. Giaritelli, Anna. “Celebrities Call For Planned Parenthood Donations After Trump Win”. Washington Examiner. 2016. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/celebrities-call-for-planned-parenthood-donations-after-trump-win/article/2607367.
47. Quinn, Melissa. “Meet the 38 Companies That Donate to Planned Parenthood.” The Daily Signal. July 21, 2015. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.dailysignal.com/print?post_id=192911.
48. DeSanctis, Alexandra. “Planned Parenthood’s Lavish Private Donations.” National Review. July 13, 2017. Accessed October 20, 2017. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/449470/planned-parenthood-private-donations-it-needs-no-government-funding.
49. Reynolds, Sara. “Fact Check: Did New Jersey Family Planning Cuts Increase STD Rates?” Ballotpedia. September 21, 2017. Accessed October 23, 2017. https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Did_New_Jersey_family_planning_cuts_increase_STD_rates%3F.
50. Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 2022. “Planned Parenthood Announces $275 Million Historic Donation from MacKenzie Scott to Support Public Health Equity Across the Country.” https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/planned-parenthood-announces-275-million-historic-donation-from-mackenzie-scott-to-support-public-health-equity-across-the-country. Accessed May 26, 2022.