subscribe: Posts | Comments

Planned Parenthood ends abortions in three Arizona cities

0 comments

Summary of story from The Los Angeles Times, August 19, 2011

Planned Parenthood, a US reproductive health care provider, has said that it is ending abortion services in three Arizona cities to comply with recent state laws that restrict abortions.

Women will no longer be able to terminate pregnancies at the Planned Parenthood clinics in Prescott Valley, Flagstaff and Yuma.

Women can still receive surgical and medication abortions in the Tucson and Phoenix areas, but those services will cease at some suburban locations.

“I think we’ve really done women a disservice in all parts of the state by imposing rules that have no medical significance and are just creating barriers,” said Bryan Howard, president of Planned Parenthood of Arizona.

The law includes a requirement that women see a doctor in person the day before getting an abortion to hear about risks and alternatives, and allows healthcare workers to refuse to participate in abortions if they have  moral or religious objections.

The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled the provisions constitutional and said they did not put an undue burden on women seeking to end pregnancies.

The Arizona laws are part of a wave of restrictions that state legislatures have passed, reducing access to abortions. Other measures include bans on late-term abortions and preventing coverage in new insurance exchanges.

More than half of US states require waiting periods for abortion — typically 24 hours — while a larger number require counseling beforehand, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *