Planned Parenthood closes more than 5,000 abortion facilities worldwide during COVID-19
One genuine silver lining to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the closure of many abortion centres, resulting in thousands of saved lives. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) who have affiliates in Northern Ireland and the UK, has announced that 5,633 of its member clinics closed due to the coronavirus crisis, whilst 23 others have reported a reduced ability to perform abortions.
In 2018, IPPF committed nearly 1.4 million abortions around the world with just over half being done through a chemical abortion (the abortion pill). The organisations also states it completed 122,820 treatments for performing incomplete or botched abortions, which could account for chemical abortions that failed and had to be followed up with surgical abortions.
IPPF also claims it is currently struggling with accessing equipment to carry out abortions, which is highly likely given the fact that protective equipment is supposed to be going to frontline healthcare workers tasked with battling the current pandemic. At a time when life-saving care such as cancer screenings and treatments have been postponed to save staff, time, equipment and hospital beds, abortion facilities are determined to keep killing unborn children through abortion. In Northern Ireland, Planned Parenthood affiliate ‘Informing Choices NI’ recently announced the introduction of a pathway to lethal abortion pills during the pandemic. Meanwhile in the US, Planned Parenthood businesses have suspended actual health care services in favour of an ‘abortion only’ protocol.
“Without access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and a secure supply of vital commodities like contraceptives, members will not be able to reopen lost service points, and more will close,” IPPF said in a news release. It also said that an emergency fund has been created to ensure its facilities that are still open receive PPE, because to IPPF, abortion services are key to meeting their sales targets. This protective equipment would primarily be needed to perform abortions.
The group also expressed concern that when the pandemic is finally over it will not be able to reopen all of its abortion facilities — but that might not actually have all very much to do with COVID-19. According to Live Action, IPPF has refused funding from the United States in favour of continuing its international abortion business.
Additionally, in 2019, IPPF had to face major controversy and restructuring after allegations of sexual misconduct, fraud, and bullying surfaced. Those allegations included the hiring of prostitutes for official organisation functions. It seems very possible that the organisation’s own failures could be to blame for their current dire situation, rather than the virus itself.
IPPF is attempting to capitalise on the crisis by expanding DIY at home abortions and telemedicine. The group have said that “[women’s] ability to take medicines in their own homes, such as medical abortion medication” will help them. However, do-it-yourself abortions will not help women. At least 24 women worldwide have died from complications of the abortion pill, according to the FDA. Other complications include haemorrhaging, future infertility, and rupture of the uterus.
Abortion is as dangerous for women as it has always been, but when abortion businesses like IPPF take shortcuts to keep their own business afloat as they are now, they are doing it at the expense of the women they claim to care about.
Abortion is and always will be hugely dangerous for women, and fatal for unborn children. However, when abortion businesses like IPPF take shortcuts to keep their profit margins afloat as they are now, it is likely more women will be seriously injured or even killed from DIY home abortions.