Planned Parenthood Used Underage Girls in Clinical Trials Pushing Abortion

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 6, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Planned Parenthood Used Underage Girls in Clinical Trials Pushing Abortion

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 6
, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A new report from a Planned Parenthood watchdog group finds the abortion business used underage girls in at least 10 clinical trials over the last two decades to push abortion, birth control, and STD testing.

The news comes at a time when Planned Parenthood is facing criticism for videos showing it ignoring potential statutory abuse cases.

Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League and the head of its STOPP Planned Parenthood effort, released the details in a statement to LifeNews.com.

Twenty-eight Planned Parenthood affiliates have been involved in 33 clinical trials, some of which received government funds, and 10 of them involved girls as young as 13 years of age. That number represents one-third of all clinical trials surveyed in the STOPP report.

Two of the 33 trials ended in the 1990s, while the remaining 31 were conducted within the last seven years and some of them are ongoing.

Shocked by the results, Sedlak said, “In most states, minor girls involved in sexual activity is considered sex abuse and is illegal."

Two of the trials that involved underage girls saw them sign up to receive text messages from Planned Parenthood centers reminding them to take their birth control.

Other Planned Parenthood clinical trials involve African-American girls as young as 13 and trials to increase the use of “emergency contraception” (the morning after pill) among girls as young as 14.

Sedlak said additional Planned Parenthood trials included ones to monitor techniques using the dangerous abortion drug mifepristone, birth control techniques, pain reduction during abortion, sterilization, and IUD insertion, and a trial assessing the safety and efficacy of a new “emergency contraceptive” known as Ella.

The pro-life advocate told LifeNews.com that concerned parents and citizens need to speak up about these trials and protect their children from the abortion business.

“As Planned Parenthood continues to spread its tentacles throughout our country’s health care establishment, it is imperative that it be met with resistance at every turn,” Sedlak said.

"We encourage everyone who lives in the area serviced by the Planned Parenthood affiliates mentioned in this report to launch educational campaigns against this organization," he added.

The report Sedlak’s group released today showed Planned Parenthood wasn’t alone in targeting young women in the trials.

Businesses and universities such as Columbia University, Emory University, Merck Pharmaceuticals, the National Institutes of Health, the University of California at San Francisco, Bayer, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Virginia Commonwealth University also participated.

Those joining Planned Parenthood in participating in abortion or birth control trials included Gynuity Health Projects, the University of Utah, Pfizer, the University of North Carolina, Oregon Health and Science University, Johns Hopkins, HRA Pharma, and the University of California at San Diego.

The Planned Parenthood affiliates conducting clinical trials on minors include Planned Parenthood of Georgia, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood of Maryland.

Others with trials involving minor girls include Planned Parenthood of Shasta-Diablo, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, Virginia League of Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood of New York City, and Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas.

Related web sites:
Report – https://www.all.org/pdf/stopp_2009ppclinicaltrials.pdf

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