Alaska Planned Parenthood Business Opens New Abortion Center in Juneau
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 13, 2009
Juneau, AK (LifeNews.com) — For the first time in over a decade, women in southeastern Alaska can get abortions locally without having to fly to Seattle or Anchorage. That’s because the long-planned Planned Parenthood abortion facility the business planned to start is now open.
The opening of the abortion business is sure to increase the number of abortions in Alaska as women have another place to get them.
There were 1,701 abortions done in Alaska in 2007, an 11 percent decrease from the 1,923 done in 2006, but the number may go back up with the new Juneau facility.
Pamela Lynn, a former employee with Western Washington Planned Parenthood, told the Juneau Empire that she’s "excited" about the new abortion business.
She indicated some potential customers came to the new facility before it technically opened to make appointments. While the new center will provide some legitimate medical services for women, the controversial selling point is its surgical abortions.
Lynn said the new Twin Lakes-area abortion center is sure to see its fair share of protesters if only because it is located in the state capital.
Pro-life groups are concerned that there is no parental consent in Alaska and they worry more abortions will be done on teenagers in secret without their parents knowing.
LaRae Jones, secretary of the Juneau Pro-Choice Coalition, helped Planned Parenthood officials put together $150,000 of the $1.2 million needed to build the new abortion center.
John Monagle, a member of the board of Alaskans for Life, says he’s disappointed that a new abortion business has been built and hopes local pro-life advocates will oppose it.
The new center is located near the campus of Bartlett Regional Hospital.
Pro-life groups will be closely monitoring any abortions done at the facility after longtime abortion advocate Colleen Murphy had her medical license suspended by the Alaska State Medical Board.
The board said she failed to meet minimum standards for obstetric care.
Murphy presented such a "clear and immediate danger to the public health and safety" that the board suspended her license at an emergency meeting without first granting a hearing on the matter. The board was not legally obligated to tell her beforehand.
Related web sites:
Alaska Right to Life – https://www.alaskarighttolife.org
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