The Planned Parenthood abortion business is closing four clinics in Iowa and pro-life advocates in the Midwestern state are celebrating the news.
Iowa Right to Life confirmed Friday afternoon to LifeNews that Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is closing four clinics next month.
“Ankeny, Fort Dodge, Mount Pleasant and Washington, Iowa, will see the abortion giant leave their town,” stated Jenifer Bowen, Executive Director of Iowa Right to Life. “This means that in the last year and a half we have seen ten clinics close for good. We know that not only are the lives of the unborn safer when they leave, but so are the lives of the women seeking their services.”
“We could not be experiencing this unprecedented activity were in not for the faithful supporters of life in these cities. For example, Ankeny, once a webcam abortion location, has seen a steady decrease of business in recent years. This has been one of the most active 40 Days for Life prayer vigil sites in Iowa,” she told LifeNews.
The good news follows on a ruling earlier this month from a judge who ruled the Iowa Planned Parenthood abortion business can continue putting women’s health at risk doing webcam abortions while its lawsuit against the law continues.
In order to protect women’s health, the Iowa Board of Medicine voted to approve a rule which requires a physician to physically examine the woman before a chemical abortion, and indicate in her medical records the gestational age of the unborn child and the location of the pregnancy. The rule requires that the physician be present when the drugs are administered and that they schedule a follow-up appointment. If a provider violates these rules, the Board of Medicine can take away his or her medical license or impose other sanctions.
Last month, the Administrative Rules Review Committee, a bipartisan panel of both houses of the Legislature that has oversight of the agency rulemaking process, voted to implement the ban. However, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland requested that a judge delay a new rule on “web-cam” abortions and filed a lawsuit in Polk County District Court October 3 for judicial review of the changed made in late August by the Iowa Board of Medicine.
According to the Quad Cities Times, PPH “has 15 affiliated clinics that have used the telemedicine system since 2008 and have dispensed at least 3,000 pills since 2010.”
Now a judge has suspended the ban, for now.
Leading pro-life advocates say the webcam abortion process, where the abortion drug is given to women without a doctor’s direct supervision, hurts women.
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“The physician never physically examines the woman, making misdiagnosis a danger as the physician may overlook the gestational age of the unborn child or fail to identify an ectopic pregnancy. The misdiagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy can be life threatening to the pregnant woman – if the ectopic pregnancy ruptures, she may bleed to death,” Americans United for Life attorney Bill Saunders says. “Most importantly, the physician is not present to intervene surgically in the case of an incomplete abortion, heavy bleeding, or other complications that are common in the use of abortion-inducing drugs. This dangerous practice puts women at risk—but it is a big money maker for the abortion industry.”
“Upholding the FDA protocol is a huge victory for women’s health in Iowa. Planned Parenthood will not be allowed to risk woman’s lives by recklessly giving them abortion-drugs without a physical exam from a physician, and women will receive the follow up care that is essential to their health and wellbeing and may save their lives. The Iowa Board of Medicine deserves applause for protecting women,” he said.
