"Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant," or so it's been said. Well, that's certainly true when it comes to Planned Parenthood—and the abortion industry writ large.
According to new polling from Students for Life's Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement (IPA), youth voters' support for Planned Parenthood dropped a full 13 points after they learned just some of the abortion vendor's wrongdoing—its lapses in care, failure to report sex crimes, financial mismanagement, etc.
That's a stunning statistic, given that youth voters are typically seen as the group most likely to support Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry more broadly. But this new data suggests that's not true.
According to IPA's January 2026 poll, almost 70 percent of registered youth voters support limits on abortion. Even more say they would support limits if the government increased its support for women, mothers, and families.
Meanwhile, just 22 percent of youth voters described Planned Parenthood as "vital," with a full 50 percent indicating the abortion vendor could be replaced by real healthcare providers—ones that don't offer abortion.
What does this mean? Youth voters aren't lockstep for abortion, and they're certainly not all in for Planned Parenthood. Instead, they support abortion because they've been taught to view it as a compassionate solution for women and children—so once they learn the truth, their support vanishes.
Not only did youth voters' support for Planned Parenthood drop 13 points after education on its wrongdoing, but a full 46 percent of those polled said they'd support a federal review of the abortion vendor, and a plurality said they'd support redirecting funds from Planned Parenthood to real healthcare providers.
Meanwhile, youth voters' support for abortion in general also dropped after they learned about the real harm caused to preborn babies. In fact, after they were educated on the pain abortion inflicts on preborn babies, the number who supported abortion limits increased a full 18 points, with 62 percent saying they would be willing to support limits if it were demonstrated that the baby could experience pain.
Why does this matter?
IPA's polling shows why the Small Business Administration (SBA) 's latest move is bad news for Planned Parenthood.
Students for Life of America (SFLA) has called for Planned Parenthood to be debarred for years. Think of it like a long-overdue job review after allegations of fraud or misconduct that can lead to the abortion mega vendor being fired from all government contracts. In fact, I led an event at the SBA in which we delivered a letter, asking for the books to be opened and Planned Parenthood's business to be examined.
And it seems we've been heard. Recently, the SBA announced plans to investigate the abortion vendor, noting it may have fraudulently received a full $88 million in government funding during COVID. But the agency's investigation will uncover far, far more than mere fraud. It will reveal what SFLA has said all along: Planned Parenthood is not "qualified" to receive government healthcare dollars.
In fact, far from it. For starters, Planned Parenthood isn't a healthcare "provider"; it's an abortion vendor masquerading as a place for care. Case in point, the old lie about women losing breast care without Planned Parenthood. Guess how many mammogram machines they operate? Answer: Zero. They just book women at other locations and collect a fee.
Its motivation isn't to provide the best possible care for women and children—it's to increase its bottom line by billing for "service," including selling sterilizing, experimental wrong-sex "treatments" and death by abortion.
Even The New York Times knows that Planned Parenthood offers abysmal care, including instructions to staff to limit appointments to just 10 minutes; failure to report STD/STI results for months, leading patients to falsely believe they tested negative; the provision of chemical castration "gender-transition" drugs to minors after just 30-minute appointments; and so much more.
IPA's polling shows that youth voters won't stubbornly shut their eyes to the truth. Not only are more youth voters pro-life than the Left claims, but their support for life and opposition to Planned Parenthood increases still further after exposure to real facts and data.
If that's how youth voters react, imagine how the SBA (and the federal government more broadly) will react when their investigation inevitably uncovers the fraud, corruption, and malpractice oozing out of Planned Parenthood facilities.
For legislators, IPA's polling sends a clear message: It's time to fire Planned Parenthood, once and for all. An organization that profits off killing babies under the guise of providing care doesn't deserve a single cent more of taxpayer money. Instead, those dollars should go toward real healthcare for women, care that gives them the resources they need to choose life.
SBA's investigation may just prove the last straw—as if another were needed—that prompts legislators and the government to say "enough is enough" when it comes to taxpayer funding for abortion.
Kristan Hawkins is president of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action, with more than 1,600 groups on middle and high school, college and university, medical and law school campuses in all 50 states. Follow her @KristanHawkins or subscribe to her podcast, The Kristan Hawkins Show.