The Value of a Life Is Not Cosmetic
“Feel good. Look good. Do good,”
now reads the recently updated Planned Parenthood Mar Monte website.
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (PPMM), the largest US Planned Parenthood affiliate, announced in March that it would begin offering ‘aesthetics’ services, including Botox injections and IV hydration services. Mar Monte is made up of over thirty health center locations across mid-California and Nevada.
The stated reason for these new services is due to federal funding cuts, with the website explaining that, “Medicaid reimbursement for our traditional sexual and reproductive health care services does not provide enough reimbursement or revenue for us to be sustainable. Introducing additional services will support PPMM’s financial stability and ensure that our patients can get the care they need at an accessible, affordable price.”
PPMM insists that offering Botox services is a “legitimate area of health care, yet is persistently stigmatized.” The new IV hydration services offer customized mixes, including a hangover helper, all offered on Saturday mornings. The pitch is that the revenue from these new services will make up for a lack of federal funding, and therefore, anyone undergoing aesthetic treatment is “supporting sexual and reproductive health for folks in your community.”
This rebrand raises serious questions. When an organization historically centered on abortion and reproductive services begins promoting cosmetic procedures alongside its core mission, it inevitably blurs moral lines. It further advances its message that abortion is just another procedure, something so trivial that it can be done at the same place beauty Botox treatments are done, or an IV pick-me-up when you have a common cold.
Criticism from Both Sides
This move comes with criticism from those on both sides of the abortion debate. Even pro-choicers find themselves feeling upset by the presented idea that these services fit into Planned Parenthood’s larger mission of “promoting bodily autonomy.” Equating the right to end the life of an unborn baby and aesthetic treatment doesn’t sit well, even with those who believe abortion to be okay.
“Pregnancy is a hugely significant, life-changing, life-risking event. It is not like having the latest tweakment. Reducing it to a choice akin to having a bit of Botox is trivialising.”
Some pro-choice voices have pushed back, not because they reject abortion, but because they recognize the weight of what is being trivialized. Even a pro-choice British op-ed responding to the new services admits responding to the announcement captured this discomfort clearly: “Pregnancy is a hugely significant, life-changing, life-risking event. It is not like having the latest tweakment. Reducing it to a choice akin to having a bit of Botox is trivialising.” The author continues, noting that even without viewing the fetus as a fully formed person, there remains a sense that such a comparison diminishes something inherently meaningful.
A Cultural Shift
This discomfort points to something deeper. If abortion can be marketed in the same breath as wrinkle reduction and hydration drips, it suggests a cultural shift that treats profound moral decisions as interchangeable with lifestyle conveniences. For those who believe that every human life has inherent dignity, this is a sobering reflection of how far the conversation has drifted.
A society that attempts to make abortion appear more of a casual, one-off procedure, and not something that permanently alters the life of the baby, mother, and father, is a society that cannot distinguish between preserving life and enhancing appearance has lost sight of something essential. The value of human life far outweighs a cosmetic procedure, and cosmetic procedures shouldn’t be performed to support funding for the intentional ending of innocent human life through abortion.
A Reason for Hope
Yet, even in the midst of this very sad confusion, there is reason for hope. Across the country, countless individuals, families, and organizations continue to affirm the dignity of every human life, offering real, compassionate support to women facing difficult pregnancies.
These efforts remind us that a culture of life is not built through slogans, but we can “do good” through sacrificial love and practical support. As more people begin to question narratives that reduce profound human realities to matters of convenience, there is an opportunity to rediscover a deeper respect for both mother and child. Hope remains that we can uphold human dignity without compromise, and build a society where no life is seen as expendable.
Support the Cause in Northeast Indiana
If you’re in the Northeast Indiana area and want to know how to better support your pro-life stance in a lost world, consider becoming a Sidewalk Advocate, joining one of our Right to Life Workshops, encouraging youth to attend Life Defenders Summer Camp, and joining us at our Fall Banquet.
