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Planned Parenthood is an American organization devoted to individual determination with regards to matters of fertility. It is a vocal political advocate of comprehensive sexuality education and holds a pro-choice position on the issue of abortion. The group operates nearly 900 locations in the United States; these centers offer a variety of services, including abortion, cervical exams, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive services, sexuality education, vasectomies, and more. Not all services are available at all locations.
Planned Parenthood began as the American Birth Control League, which was founded in 1923 under the leadership of Margaret Sanger, a radical birth control advocate who had been jailed numerous times for breaking New York's Comstock Laws against disseminating birth control information. The group was influential in liberalizing laws against birth control throughout the 1920s and 1930s before changing its name to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. in 1942.
Planned Parenthood has since been an extremely vocal advocate of birth control and abortion reforms. It is vehemently opposed by pro-life citizens and organizations.
The group vehemently opposes requiring parental consent or notification for underage girls to have an abortion.
For more information, see the article on abortion.
Planned Parenthood was one of the co-sponsors of the March for Women's Lives, held April 25, 2004.
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