Trump win fuels donations, IUD demand at
Planned Parenthood
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[November 12, 2016]
By Jilian Mincer and David Ingram
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood is
reporting a spike in donations and demand for long-acting contraceptives
since Donald Trump's election as U.S. president while abortion foes hope
to gain momentum in their quest to cut public funding to the women's
health organization.
Officials with Planned Parenthood said its patrons are worried about the
impact of a Trump presidency on access to abortions and birth control in
the United States.
Planned Parenthood, which draws the ire of many Republicans because it
provides abortions, is bracing for one of the toughest battles in its
100-year history. It has about 650 health centers nationwide and relies
on public funding for about half of its revenue, much of it from the
Medicaid health insurance program for the poor.
With Trump winning Tuesday's election and Republicans maintaining their
control of Congress, it could be easier for lawmakers to cut funding to
Planned Parenthood and dismantle outgoing President Barack Obama's
Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, that mandates insurance
coverage for contraceptives.
"There have been attempts the last two years to defund them, and we will
do anything we can to defund them," said Carol Tobias, president of the
National Right to Life Committee, which opposes abortion. "I am very
optimistic."
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Since the election, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America said it
has received nearly 80,000 new donations nationwide, although it did not
disclose the money amount.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois said online appointments for long-acting
contraceptives like IUDs, or intrauterine devices, rose nearly 50
percent in the past two days compared to the same period last week. It
said it plans to increase the number of available appointments to meet
demand.
"We have been overwhelmed by community members making donations and
contacting us to offer to volunteer and provide support," said Sarah
Wheat, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, where
successive Republican governors have cut funding to the organization.
Online donations to the Texas affiliate tripled on Wednesday compared to
the previous week, while 125 people have contacted the group to
volunteer to help, Wheat said.
Long a target of protest, and sometimes violence, by groups that oppose
abortion on religious grounds, Planned Parenthood has in recent years
worked to broaden its health services for women and men.
MIXED SIGNALS
Trump has sent mixed signals about abortion, saying in March that women
who end pregnancies should face punishment. He later backtracked on his
remarks.
On Wednesday, his team said the new Trump administration would "protect
innocent human life from conception to natural death," without
elaborating.
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![](../images/111216pics/news_c7.jpg)
Planned Parenthood South Austin Health Center is seen in Austin,
Texas, U.S. June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Ilana Panich-Linsman
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Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Trump's vice presidential running mate
and the head of his transition team, is a strident opponent of
abortion. Pence has pushed Congress to defund Planned Parenthood and
signed a state law mandating that a fetus be buried or cremated
after an abortion.
Trump has also vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare, although he
was quoted by the Wall Street Journal on Friday as saying he would
consider saving some provisions.
The law required for the first time that insurers cover the cost of
many forms of birth control for women.
While it is not clear yet how Trump will proceed with his pledge,
some patients want to ensure they have a contraceptives plan in
place, Planned Parenthood officials said.
"They really have some concerns about the threats to the Affordable
Care Act and the coverage for these services," said Katie Thiede,
the vice president of development for Planned Parenthood of
Illinois.
The affiliate said demand for permanent sterilization climbed 57
percent over the past week.
If Obamacare were to be repealed, an estimated 55 million women
could lose access to no-copay preventive services including birth
control, screenings for sexually transmitted infections, Pap tests
and cancer screenings, according to government figures.
Other challenges could come through court appointments, or through
changes in funding rules for Medicaid.
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In the longer term, abortion rights advocates have expressed concern
that Trump could appoint conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme
Court who could overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that
legalized abortion nationwide.
(Reporting by Jilian Mincer and David Ingram; Editing by Will
Dunham)
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