Who Really Has the STD Problem?

At the June Pasco Planning Commission Meeting, Benton Franklin Health Department representative, Sandy Owen, testified in support of Planned Parenthood. She claimed Franklin County was experiencing significantly higher rates of chlamydia compared to Benton, and that by some unspecified inference this suggested a need for a PP clinic, in part because the government had no funds for its own clinic.

What was odd, though, was that she cited data from their 2006-2007 annual report. She didn't mention the 2008 annual report, or provide any explanation as to why that most recent data was not used.

In fact, that report does exist, and it shows the following:

Chlamydia Cases

County	'06	'07	'08
Benton	375	374	513
Franklin	284	287	262

In other words, the most current data -- which Ms. Owen failed to cite -- shows that Benton County, which has a Planned Parenthood (abortion) clinic, showed a huge jump in chlamydia cases, from 374 to 513. Meanwhile, Franklin County, which is Planned Parenthood free, showed a decline!

When asked about this, Ms. Owen responded with some rates data from their epidemiologist. This data showed an even starker decline in Franklin County, from 715 (per 100,000) to 373 (per 100,000). It didn't show the increase in Benton for some unexplained reason.

In her defense, Ms. Owen told us via email: "As you can see Franklin County has a higher Chlamydia incidence rate compared to Benton County for all three years." She did not, however, address the stunning trends, or explain the discrepancy between the published raw data for Benton County in 2008 and her epidemiologist's rate data.

The only explanation she offered for the spike in chlamydia cases in Planned Parenthood-infested Benton County was due to an increase in reporting:

"The increase in numbers may be due to the chlamydia project that has begun in Benton and Franklin Counties whereby outreach to physicians and other providers to encourage testing and reporting may have resulted in increased numbers."

I pointed out, however, that this should have effected rates in both counties, not just Benton. To date, no further explanation has been forthcoming from Ms. Owen, or her boss, Larry Yecha. We will keep you updated with any further developments.

Further questions were raised about Ms. Owens' judgment when she argued at the planning meeting in defense of PP's proximity to vulnerable children by claiming that:

"Children do not know what Planned Parenthood is about unless their parents teach them what Planned Parenthood is about."

Does Ms. Owens really believe that kids don't talk to each other about this sort of thing?