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Survey: Public foggy on Planned Parenthood


WASHINGTON (BP) — Americans may think they are familiar with Planned Parenthood but a new survey shows they actually aren’t well-informed about the country’s No. 1 abortion provider.

The National Right to Life Committee commissioned the Polling Company to conduct the survey, which found that 88 percent of registered voters polled said they were familiar with Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Of that total, 41 percent said they were very familiar and 47 percent said they were somewhat familiar.

The poll found 63 percent had a favorable opinion of the organization. That total included 38 percent who described themselves as pro-life.

Yet, 55 percent of respondents said they did not know Planned Parenthood performs abortions. Even half of the pro-lifers said they did not realize the organization provides abortion services.

Of the 45 percent who knew about Planned Parenthood’s abortion practice, only 14 percent knew its affiliates perform more than 300,000 abortions each year.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said in a written statement that the American people “have been duped into thinking that Planned Parenthood is nothing more than a ‘mainstream health care provider,’ when in reality, Planned Parenthood clinics are performing upwards of 27% of all abortions performed in the United States annually.”

“Regardless of what they say, for Planned Parenthood, abortion is big business,” Tobias said in releasing the survey April 30.

Affiliates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America reported performing 333,964 abortions during 2010-11, the most recent year for which statistics are available. That was an annual record for the organization. Planned Parenthood also established a record for funds received from federal, state and local governments — $542.4 million in grants and reimbursements during the latest fiscal year.
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Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).

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