ANKENY, IA, November 18, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has announced its 16th closure in two years, stating that four facilities in Iowa will shut their doors.
The most recent closures are offices in the Iowa towns of Ankeny, Fort Dodge, Mount Pleasant, and Washington. All four offered chemical abortion (the “morning after pill”), referrals for surgical abortions, and “LGBT services.” They are scheduled to go out of business on December 12.
The state's pro-life leaders credited grassroots activism and the political support of the state's leadership. “We could not be experiencing this unprecedented activity were it not for the faithful supporters of life in these cities,” said Jenifer Brown, executive director of Iowa Right to Life.
Although the abortion giant said the closures were a unilateral decision that served its own business interests, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President Jill June blamed “hostile political environments and restricted funding programs.” Limits on telemed abortions, currently being ajudicated, and other regulations have led to a small but steady number of closures.
Shelby Kroona, an administrator of the Hamilton County Department of Public Health, said area women could lose access the abortion industry's services, because “transportation to the Ames, Sioux City, or Des Moines Planned Parenthood office will be a burden [for] many of our residents.”
How many is uncertain, since the Planned Parenthood affiliate refused to provide the Daily Freeman-Journal of Webster City with the number of patients visiting these locations.
Kroona expressed regret at the closures, but Brown said residents in those cities will be happy to “see the abortion giant leave their town.”
“Not only are the lives of the unborn safer when they leave, but so are the lives of the women seeking their services,” she said.
The outlets offer chemical or medical abortions, administering RU-486. Medical abortions are more likely to result in complications for women than surgical abortions.
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The Iowa affiliate was one of three Planned Parenthood groups that received $655,000 in federal grants to hire ObamaCare navigators.
Shelby Cloke, public relations manager for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, told the Daily Freeman-Journal, “The navigator will still work in the community, helping to provide information, answer questions, and educate Iowans about the Affordable Care Act.”
PPH announced it will stop offering family practice services at a facility in Des Moines. A limited number of Planned Parenthood offices offer medical treatment for conditions such as high blood pressure. Some affiliates also offer pediatric services.
Only about one percent of their customers receive such services nationwide. The lion's share of Planned Parenthood's revenue comes from government grants and abortion.