By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, November 26, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Planned Parenthood of Indiana has announced just in time for Christmas that it will begin selling gift certificates at its clinics and online, which can be used for all PP services, including payment for birth control, STD testing, and abortions.
The Planned Parenthood of Indiana website says the gift cards can be used for “services or the recipient’s choice of birth control method,” and poses the question “Why not buy a loved one a gift this holiday season that they really need”?
When asked about the appropriateness of a gift card for abortion, Chrystal Struben-Hall, Vice President of Planned Parenthood of Indiana told WISH-TV, “They really are intended for preventative healthcare. We decided not to put restrictions on the gift certificates so it’s for whatever people feel they need the services for most.”
Indiana Family Institute President Curt Smith, however, said he is appalled by the certificates.
“I think the way to help family planning is to give the money where there’s no agenda. So if somebody wants to help a woman at a time of crisis, they can support the life centers throughout Indiana,” Smith said in the WISH-TV report.
One blogger at the highly popular “Hot Air” blog quipped, “What kind of relationship would you have to have with someone for a gift certificate from Planned Parenthood to be appropriate? If you’re buying for your significant other, cash works just as well. If you’re buying for friends, um … what’s the message there? ‘Merry Christmas, buddy. The next prostate exam’s on me.’”
To express your opinion on Planned Parenthood gift cards contact:
Planned Parenthood of Indiana
200 South Meridian Street
Post Office Box 397
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
Phone: 317-637-4343
Fax: 317-637-4344
Email: [email protected]