Though you might not want to admit it, the neighbor you used to babysit 12 years ago and your younger sister who just turned 15 are probably having sex. Maybe even right now. With each other. And it's OK.

Whether or not they're told premarital sex will throw them down a path of despair or into the lair of the STD fairy, the youth of America are gonna bang each other. And they can't all have pleasant talks with their parents and easy access to buying condoms at the 711 down the street.

That's where Planned Parenthood comes in. Not only do they provide the information, support and condoms necessary for baby- and herpes-free sexual experimentation, the organization also provides STD and HIV testing, as well as the pelvic exams that women need annually as soon as they become sexually active.

And if you're someone who can't announce to the world – or at least his/her parents – that there's sex being had, Planned Parenthood is an affordable and safe place to take care of that important business and get access to birth control such as The Pill, condoms, intrauterine devices and the Nuvaring.

But Planned Parenthood easily is confused these days as more an abortion provider and than a health care clinic that provides basic screenings and check-ups that cost a lot less than they do at hospitals and Urgent Care operations.

With this in mind, the Republican-led House of Representatives voted to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding at the end of February, but the budget-busting bill was voted down by the Senate March 9.

However the House committee has scheduled a hearing of the H.R.3 “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” this week and funding for these services is not safe.

As a result Planned Parenthood has formed the Truth Tour, with gatherings of women and men across the nation rallying and signing petitions and open letters to Congress to assure their voices are being heard.

And the most recent national campaign features young men and women cluing the rest of the country in about their sexual habits, plans and needs. It's effective, non-intrusive and blatantly honest. Honesty is key.

What do you think?

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