Four Planned Parenthood Clinics in Iowa are Set to Close

Per KTIV News, four of the six Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa, along with four in Minnesota, will be shut down in approximately a year's time. A variety of factors contribute to these closures, most notably a recent freeze in federal funding.

One of the Iowa locations set to close is among the only facility in the state that provides abortion procedures. That location is in Ames. Services such as medication abortions will still continue to be offered in Des Moines, while medication and medical abortion services will persist in Iowa City.

A List of Planned Parenthood Locations Closing in Iowa:

The following Planned Parenthood affiliate clinics will be closing in Iowa:

• Ames
• Cedar Rapids
• Sioux City
• Urbandale

KTIV reports that the Planned Parenthood affiliate would lay off 66 employees, and have 37 additional employees move to other existing clinics. The affiliate sees 20,000 patients a year virtually, and serves five states, including Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and the Dakotas.

A Number of Factors Led to These Closings:

A combination of a federal funding freeze and budget cuts levied by Congress are to blame for the closure of the clinics. President Donald Trump's administration effectively froze $2.8 million in federal funds for the state of Minnesota that were supposed to be used to provide birth control and other services, such as cervical cancer screenings and STD tests.

Federal funds cannot be used for most abortions, however, that hasn't stopped opponents from arguing that Planned Parenthood affiliates should not receive a dime of taxpayer dollars for the money indirectly underwrites abortion services.

What Planned Parenthood Locations Remain In the Region:

Iowa banned most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, still well before most women even know they're pregnant. Consequently, abortions performed in Iowa dropped 60% in the first six months of the law being in effect.

Following these closures, Planned Parenthood North Central States will operate the following number of clinics in the following states:

• 10 in Minnesota
• Two in Iowa
• Two in Nebraska
• One in South Dakota

Read more about the imminent closure of multiple Planned Parenthood locations in the state of Iowa on KTIV's website.