New Law Forces Closing of 4 Iowa Planned Parenthood Health Centers 

Because of a dangerous new Iowa law signed by Governor Branstad, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland will be forced to close four health centers, leaving more than 14,600 women without the health care they depend on in Quad Cities, Burlington, Keokuk and Sioux City.  

 

The Iowa law is similar to federal legislation that passed the House earlier this month and is now being considered by the Senate.

Embedded in the American Health Care Act (the ACA repeal bill), the language would prohibit all Medicaid patients -- more than half of the millions who turn to Planned Parenthood each year for care -- from getting basic services such as cancer screenings, birth control, annual checkups, and STD testing and treatment from Planned Parenthood health centers, leaving many with nowhere else to turn for care.

We have seen what happens in states like Texas, and now in Iowa, when politicians attack access to care at Planned Parenthood — it’s devastating, and sometimes deadly, for the women who are left with nowhere to turn for care. What is happening in Iowa is what we could see across the country if Congress passes this dangerous law to defund Planned Parenthood. This is hardest on people who already face barriers to accessing health care — especially people of color, young people, people with low to moderate incomes, and people who live in rural areas.”

 

Without Planned Parenthood, many patients will have nowhere else to go for care.

In 2015, Planned Parenthood health centers in Iowa served nearly half of all female patients accessing contraception care at a publicly funded health center. In three out of the four counties with health centers closing, Planned Parenthood served 80% or more of the women access contraception at a publicly funded health center (Burlington, 96%; Keokuk, 92%; and Sioux City, 80%). When the Keokuk Planned Parenthood health center in rural Lee County closes, patients will be forced to drive nearly an hour to the next safety-net family planning provider. Each of those three health centers (Burlington, Keokuk, and Sioux City) are also located in counties that rank in top 10 highest for Chlamydia when compared to other counties in Iowa.

 

In addition to being devastating, this is not what Iowans want.

77 percent of Iowans surveyed by the Des Moines Register, including 62 percent of Iowa Republicans, support maintaining patients’ access to the high-quality, often lifesaving care Planned Parenthood provides. Iowans are in line with the majority of Americans on this. 75% of Americans support Planned Parenthood and oppose efforts to “defund” and cut off care at our health centers.

 

Take Action

It’s clear these attacks on women’s health care are just the beginning. Stand up for reproductive rights.

Tell your Senator that attacks on Planned Parenthood will not be tolerated.

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