Planned Parenthood is speaking out against what it says is Senate Candidate Todd Akin’s medically and factually inaccurate statement about “legitimate rape.”
Akin has since apologized about his statement that women’s bodies could somehow naturally prevent pregnancy in cases of “legitimate rape,” claiming he read about it once in a magazine, but has disproven it. However, Planned Parenthood says the damage has already been done. His statement has made women’s health organizations such as Planned Parenthood fire back in response to call his remark, “shocking and offensive,” though not surprising.
Missouri Planned Parenthood Spokesman Michelle Trupiano says there’s been a significant attack made on women’s reproductive health. She believes his statement was insensitive to the women they see at Planned Parenthood who’ve been victims of sexual assault.
Since then, Planned Parenthood has received a slew of calls from people looking to volunteer for the organization — receiving phone calls and donations from strangers, advocating and asking what they can do to help to help promote women’s health and women’s health rights.
Trupiano says at this point, she’s trying to educate their supporters and believes his statement highlights that there’s a war on women. She says her plan is to educate Planned Parenthood’s volunteers now for November’s election — asking both men and women who support the organization to take a look on the positions politicians take on women’s health and their reproductive rights. She says come November, she hopes women will go out and vote against the politicians opposing women’s rights so they no longer stay in office.
According to a statement released by Planned Parenthood, “Across the country, one in five women turn to Planned Parenthood — not only to make a political statement but to get high-quality, affordable healthcare and medically accurate information. The contrast between Representative Todd Akin and Senator Claire McCaskill could not be starker when it comes to women’s health.”
AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports (1:05)