Quick Take
Planned Parenthood has not closed any of its health centers after the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the organization told us. But social media posts falsely claim that Planned Parenthood clinics have been closing “all over the country” since the ruling. Some clinics have ceased performing abortions but are still providing health services.
Full Story
Planned Parenthood is a leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care in the U.S., overseeing more than 600 health centers throughout the country and providing preventive care, including birth control, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and screenings for cervical and other cancers.
The organization continues to operate health care centers in states where abortion is legal or illegal, though it has suspended abortion services at centers in areas that outlawed abortion following the Supreme Court ruling on June 24 that overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion services are still available at many Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide.
Yet posts on Facebook falsely claim that the decision on Roe v. Wade has caused Planned Parenthood to close its health care centers across the U.S.
“Why are Planned Parenthood clinics closing down all over the country?” reads one post, continuing, “I thought abortion was only 3% of their business.”
Versions of the claim have been shared by New Mexico state Sen. Gregg Schmedes and Nick Freitas, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
But a Planned Parenthood spokesperson told us in an email, “To be clear: no Planned Parenthood health centers have closed since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe.”
“The landscape of abortion access across the country is changing rapidly following the court’s decision to eliminate our federal constitutional right to abortion,” the spokesperson said. “As always, Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country will make operational decisions in an effort to best meet the needs of the unique communities they serve amid increasingly challenging environments for abortion access.”
In states with pre-Roe abortion bans that have gone into effect, such as Missouri or Alabama, and states with trigger laws on abortion, such as Texas, Arizona and Tennessee, Planned Parenthood clinics are still open, but ceasing abortion service operations.
The organization is also opening health care centers in states neighboring those areas with abortion bans. For example, Planned Parenthood built a clinic in Illinois to help serve residents of Missouri in 2019 in anticipation of tightened restrictions on abortions in nearby states.
“Planned Parenthood health centers across the country will continue to provide the full range of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care services, including birth control methods, sexually-transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, cancer screenings, gender-affirming care, and more — even at health centers that are forced to deny abortion care to patients in need due to their state’s legal landscape,” the spokesperson said.
Republicans have misleadingly claimed that abortions are “94 percent of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services,” and they have worked on legislation to defund Planned Parenthood for years, as we’ve written before.
In some states, those efforts have been successful.
Closures of Planned Parenthood centers have been occurring for almost a decade due to a lack of funding. But no centers have closed, as some social media posts claim, due to the recent ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Facebook has no control over our editorial content.
Sources
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Douglas, Erin and Eleanor Klibanoff. “Abortions in Texas have stopped after Attorney General Ken Paxton said pre-Roe bans could be in effect, clinics say.” Texas Tribune. 24 Jun 2022.
Gore, D’Angelo. “Planned Parenthood’s Services.” FactCheck.org. 4 Sep 2015.
Kolpack, Dave. “Planned Parenthood to step in if North Dakota clinic closes.” Associated Press. 24 May 2022.
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“Missouri Enacts Abortion Ban Trigger Law. Planned Parenthood Opens Clinic 15 Mins. Away in Illinois.” Democracy Now. 27 Jun 2022.
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Planned Parenthood. Email sent to FactCheck.org. 29 Jun 2022.
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