According to Planned Parenthood itself, the abortion company has inched its way to becoming the second-largest provider of hormonal injections in America. This had increased significantly since the number of abortions provided by the company has fallen since Roe v Wade was overturned.

Experts across the political spectrum — including both religious and non-religious perspectives — warn this development is dangerous, as the number of transgender-identifying youth continues to rise nationally.

Currently, over 200 Planned Parenthoods around the country offer transgender services, mostly in the form of self-injectable "feminising" or "masculinising" hormones, and puberty blockers at some locations.

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"Alive in New York" was organized by Focus on the Family and drew a crowd estimated in the thousands, and it is believed to be the largest pro-life demonstration in New York state history.

In addition to the ultrasound, the event included musical performances and speeches from pro-life advocates. Read more

It also removed a copy of a video about the revelations LifeSiteNews saved and posted to YouTube.

The video contained footage from the National Abortion Federation conference.

In this, abortionists admit they work they do is "killing," complain about how "difficult" it is to tear apart a foetus, and lament that they're not given a place to discuss the "heads that get stuck that we can't get out." Read more

These opinions came from Margaret Sanger (1879-1966), who founded the Planned Parenthood birth control movement.

Planned Parenthood celebrated its 100th birthday on October 16.

The celebrations drew applause from pro-abortion feminists, praise from President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and acclaim by Hollywood celebrities.

At the same time, though, a coalition of pro-life groups launched a social media campaign using the hashtag #100YearsofAbuse.

In this, they express their opposition to abortion.

The coalition called the Planned Parenthood celebration "a tragic milestone for our [American] nation and a reminder of the millions of unborn children who will never have a birthday."

In the last three years they say Planned Parenthood has committed nearly one million abortions in America.

At New York's Park Theatre on November 18, 1921, Sanger delivered a speech entitled "The Morality of Birth Control."

In that speech, she divided society into three groups of people:

• the "educated and informed" class that regulated the size of their families;
• the "intelligent and responsible" who desired to control their families in spite of lacking the means or the knowledge; and
• the "irresponsible and reckless people" whose religious scruples "prevent their exercising control over their numbers." That last group must, she believed, be stopped from producing children.

Source

• National Catholic Register
• Image: The Hill

Cardinal Donald Wuerl celebrated Mass at Epiphany Church in Washington, a few blocks from Georgetown.

This was one day after the university hosted a lecture by Cecile Richards, the CEO of Planned Parenthood.

Ms Richards was invited to speak university by the Lecture Fund, a student organisation.

Previous lectures have been given by President Barack Obama, PayPal cofounder Peter Theil, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, and conservative commentator Ann Coulter.

Ms Richards reportedly received a standing ovation after her lecture.

Her speech focused on expanding access to abortion and artificial contraception, saying that this is necessary for the advancement of gender and racial equality.

She also referenced past civil rights struggles in her April 20 speech and also emphasised the idea that women need contraception to be successful.

At the Mass for Life, attended by about 100 students and Georgetown alumni, Cardinal Wuerl said: "Do not let anyone reduce for you the greatness of the American dream to the level of free contraceptives."

The cardinal also denounced the "political correctness movement" and the twisting of the meaning of words like "choice".

"The word ‘choice' is a smokescreen behind which those killing unborn children take refuge. Every chance you get, blow that smoke away," Cardinal Wuerl told the students.

"But the Word of God comes to us to say, ‘do not conform yourself to this age'," the cardinal added.

Priests who minister to several college campuses in Washington archdiocese concelebrated the Mass with Cardinal Wuerl.

A Georgetown statement said the university is committed to "the free exchange of ideas, even when those ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable to some".

The university said that it does not endorse every speaker and some speakers represent views that are contrary to its "Catholic and Jesuit identity".

Georgetown is the oldest Catholic higher education institution in the US.

Sources

• The Tablet
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Cardinal's blog

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, chairman of the US bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said videos showing the admissions reveal a lack of respect for human life.

The undercover videos were recorded by a pro-life non-profit group in the US, the Center for Medical Progress.

Planned Parenthood and other officials are shown talking about the recovery of unborn children's organs and financial aspects of the process.

In the first video, Dr Deborah Nucatola says: "We've been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, so I'm not gonna crush that part, I'm going to basically crush below, I'm gonna crush above, and I'm gonna see if I can get it all intact."

Cardinal O'Malley said abortion and the distribution of foetal organs and tissues "fail to respect the humanity and dignity of human life".

"Pope Francis has called abortion the product of a ‘widespread mentality of profit, the throwaway culture, which has today enslaved the hearts and minds of so many'.

"The recent news stories concerning Planned Parenthood direct our attention to two larger issues involving many institutions in our society.

"The first is abortion itself: a direct attack on human life in its most vulnerable condition. The second is the now standard practice of obtaining foetal organs and tissues through abortion.

"Both actions fail to respect the humanity and dignity of human life. This fact should be the centre of attention in the present public controversy," he said.

In his statement the cardinal cited Project Rachel, which helps women who are suffering from the trauma of having had an abortion.

Planned Parenthood has denied that it is selling the foetal body parts for profit, which is illegal.

Rather, it says it is only trying to recoup its costs.

The videos have sparked calls for Planned Parenthood to lose federal funding of US$500million a year.

A White House spokesman has defended the organisation, saying the videos were edited in a fraudulent way.

A bill has been introduced to the US Senate to remove federal funding from Planned Parenthood.

Sources

• Catholic Herald
• The Guardian
• Catholic Herald
• CNN
• Daily Caller
• Image: Catholic Herald

Hailing Planned Parenthood's work, the President criticized "those who want to turn back the clock to policies more suited to the 1950s".

Obama, the first sitting president to address the abortion-rights group in person, concluded his remarks to Planned Parenthood by saying: "God bless you."

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The subcontractor said his religious beliefs kept him from helping to erect the $6.5 million, 19,000-square-foot facility, located at 6400 John Ryan Drive. He told local television station WFAA other workers at the site feel the same way.

The plan also covers breast pumps for nursing mothers, an annual "well woman" physical, counseling on how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and other services at no cost to the patient.

With lower costs associated with unwanted pregnancies and the treatment of STD's, supporters of the plan say that it will bring costs down

Groups such as Planned Parenthood label the move as a breakthrough for women's health.

"It's very exciting for us that women will get their birth control and not have to come up with a $5, $10 or $50 co-pay," said Carolyn Moore, a nurse practioner at Planned Parenthood.

The Catholic Church strongly opposes the move.

"We absolutely oppose it. It violates the conscious protection rights that President Obama promised he wouldn't violate with the health care laws," said Paul Simoneau with the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville.

"Catholics are not alone in conscientiously objecting to this mandate," said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

DiNardo said the pro-life majority of Americans, will be outraged to learn they will be forced to subsidise the likes of emergency contraceptives that act like the abortion drug RU-486 that aborts an established pregnancy weeks after conception.

"Although this new rule gives the agency the discretion to authorise a 'religious' exemption, it is so narrow as to exclude most Catholic social service agencies and healthcare providers," he added.

In a July 22 letter to Congress, the cardinal stated that "those who sponsor, purchase and issue health plans should not be forced to violate their deeply held moral and religious convictions in order to take part in the health care system or provide for the needs of their families or their employees."

"To force such an unacceptable choice," he wrote,"would be as much a threat to universal access to health care as it is to freedom of conscience."

Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. He said that the guidelines "would force Catholic colleges to violate the law or violate the Catholic faith."

Colleges may be forced to help students and employees obtain free contraceptives and sterilization, he added.

Jeanne Monahan, director of the Family Research Council's Center for Human Dignity, labelled the conscience protections as merely "fig leaf".

"This administration is promoting mandates that will violate the consciences of millions," she said

Sources

• CNA
• WBIR.com
• CNA
• Image: Life's Theme Park