In promoting HB363, which would forbid any mention of contraception in school sex education, Rep. Bill Wright, R-Holden, said: "Planned Parenthood’s budget is $300 billion; 9 out of 10 pregnant women who go into Planned Parenthood offices leave having had an abortion." This inflammatory and incorrect statement cannot go unchallenged, as it did during Thursday’s hearing.

In 2010, Planned Parenthood had a $1.1 billion dollar budget: 38 percent for treating sexually transmitted diseases; 14.5 percent for cancer screening and prevention; 10.4 percent for other women’s health services (pregnancy tests, prenatal services); 3 percent for abortion services; 0.6 percent for other services (procedures for men and women, adoption referrals); and 33.5 percent for contraception services.

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Wright’s tainted world view shaped HB363, which would curtail health education efforts to deal honestly with sexual identity, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual violence and contraception.

Cougar Hall, a school health adviser at Brigham Young University, said, "It’s immoral to withhold life-saving information from a segment of our population because it doesn’t fit our value system." I agree.

Rochelle Kaplan

Salt Lake City