Planned Parenthood is coming back to Louisiana, with the first reopening happening this fall in New Orleans. Emily Wales, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, says her network took over Louisiana following the closure of the last clinic in the state last September.
“We knew people still needed access to care. We were hearing from patients and supporters who wanted Planned Parenthood to come back, and so we found a way to make that happen,” Wales noted.
Wales says the New Orleans clinic will offer several services for women.
“We will offer a range of sexual and reproduction healthcare; from contraception to STI treatment and testing, to cancer screenings and well visits,” Wales said.
What the clinic will not provide, however, is abortion services, since those services are illegal in the state. But Wales says like all other clinics in states where the procedure is outlawed, they can facilitate travel to a Planned Parenthood in a state where the procedure is allowed.
“We are very used to seeing patients who have to cross state lines and who may express, ‘Hey, I’m looking care;’ and we can connect them with resources that can help them get out of the state,” Wales explained.