We mentioned in this week’s Skinny column that Planned Parenthood would be revealing how new abortion restrictions would affect the organization’s services. Today, Planned Parenthood CEO Bryan Howard laid out the changes:
At two press conferences today, Bryan Howard, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Arizona talked about how Arizona woman are being affected by abortion restrictions that are being implemented this week.
As the result of laws passed by the Arizona Legislature and an Arizona court decision last week, Planned Parenthood has been forced to discontinue abortion care in six cities. Abortion care will be provided at three health centers—two in Metro Phoenix (Glendale and Tempe) and one in Tucson.
“For the first time in more than 30 years, Arizona women will have far fewer health care options available to them,” says Howard. “There will be no known provider of abortion outside of Metro Phoenix or Tucson.”
Planned Parenthood was forced to take this drastic step because of the new restrictions introduced in 2011 that ban many of the organization’s health care professionals from providing abortion care. The organization decided to focus its energy on complying with the new laws and accommodating women in communities losing access, while it continued to pursue a legal challenge for the medically unnecessary regulations.
Women will be able to continue receiving life-saving cancer screenings, annual gynecological exams, STD testing and treatment, and birth control at all 13 of the organization’s health centers across Arizona.
“Under the guise of making laws that make women safe, these restrictions will actually be more dangerous for rural, low-income women, delaying care and making access difficult,” says Howard
Planned Parenthood Arizona plans to take the Court of Appeals ruling to the State Supreme Court and continue to challenge the provisions set into place in 2009. The 2009 restrictions include an additional in-person visit to listen to a state-mandated script read by the physician 24 hours before receiving care, notarized parental consent forms for minors seeking an abortion, and the right for pharmacists to refuse to fill a woman’s birth control prescription if it is against his or her beliefs.
The organization withdrew its preliminary injunction for the 2011 provisions it is challenging so it can focus efforts on providing preventive health care and being compliant with state laws.
“Planned Parenthood will continue to fight these unconstitutional laws in court,” says Howard. “And, while we fight these laws, we will have to do even more to reach out to Arizona women and families that need affordable family planning and prevention care.”
This article appears in Aug 18-24, 2011.
Absolutely despicable. The Arizona Legislature has nothing better to do than trample Constitutional rights, impose its racism on the entire state, and ruin any opportunity the state has to recover from the economic downturn.
The great irony? When the state is overrun with unwanted babies born into poverty, the ridiculous legislature will do absolutely nothing to support those babies, letting them fall into who knows what horrible fate.
You’re right MikeB! It would be much better and cost-effective to kill those babies! [end sarcasm]
To begin with, abortion is not “healthcare”. Taking birth control pills to prevent these unwanted pregnancies, is. Being responsible about NOT getting pregnant in the first
place is what we need to teach these irresponsible women. Having unsafe, unprotected
sex is irresponsible and negligent. Go to these communities and put these women on
birth control and then we won’t have to spend OUR tax dollars on killing their unwanted babies, over and over again.
“Irresponsible women,” including rape and incest victims, mothers whose lives are endangered by the pregnancy, teenage girls who are not getting adequate sex education and access to contraceptives in many parts of the state. But I suppose Lisa can’t see those women from way up there on her high horse…
I wish people would understand that abortion is not birth Control.The trauma of having an abortion is long remembered. If you were around when abortion was illegal and “birth control” education was non existent you would be aware of the emotional and physical trauma that many women went through. Education about preventing unwanted pregnancy is the key,and solution to the “abortion problem”
Not one cent of taxpayer money is spent on abortion services. The Hyde Act has been in place for years. So none anyone else’s money is used.
Now get the frickin government out of my uterus!