Planned Parenthood accused of monetization

Kylie Aloi, Opinion Editor

This summer has been a controversial one for the Planned Parenthood Organization when it really didn’t need to be.

Around July, an anti abortion organization, The Irvine Center for Medical Progress located in Irvine, Calif., released two videos claiming that Planned Parenthood was selling fetal organs and body parts for profit.

The video claims that Planned Parenthood was purposely violating medical ethics by altering normal abortion procedures in order to preserve the fetal organs.

Selling body parts for money is a felony, according to CNN. The punishment for selling or purchasing aborted fetal organs can vary from 10 years in prison to a fine of over $500,000. According to The Irvine Center, these videos provide evidence of criminal conspiracy targeting Planned Parenthood.

The videos were made over a year ago in a restaurant in California. Actors were hired by the Irvine Center with the intent to persuade the government to deny funding to the Planned Parenthood Organization.

They featured the supposed Dr. Deborah Nucatola, senior director of medical services within the Planned Parenthood Organization as well as two other people interviewing her during a lunch meeting.

In the video, Nucatola spoke about the price of a fetus’ organs, which can range from $30 to $100 depending on the body part. She also talked about the ability to keep the organs intact during an abortion procedure by turning the baby breech­–feet first– before starting the abortion.

“When an organization monetizes an unborn child—with the cavalier attitude portrayed in this horrific video­­­­­—we must all act,” John Boehner, speaker of the House of Representatives, said. Boehner originally found out about the video through social media coverage.

The original video is over three and a half hours long and didn’t spark as much of a reaction as the highly edited eight-minute long video. The shorter video gained over one million views in less than four days.

“These outrageous claims are flat-out untrue,” Eric Ferrero, Planned Parenthood spokesman, said.

The videos were proven to be untrue after actors­ who performed in the videos came out to say they made false accusations towards Planned Parenthood, including Nucatola, although there is still a rumor going around that Planned Parenthood was being reimbursed for the shipment of the aborted body parts to the research center.

Planned Parenthood has shared with CNN that they gain no financial benefit from the tissue donations. Planned Parenthood only accepts the donations after patients give their full verbal and physical consent.

The reimbursements they receive are for expenses of the procedures, which is legal.

“Women and families who make the decision to donate fetal tissue for life-saving scientific research should be honored, not attacked or demeaned,” Ferrero said.