Planned Parenthood requiring affiliates to provide abortions, at least one affiliate is out

The Corpus Christi Caller has a piece on how the Planned Parenthood affiliate in the Corpus Christi area is dropping their affiliation with Planned Parenthood because Planned Parenthood wants every affiliate to provide abortions. Instead of providing abortions, the affiliate will disaffiliate on January 1 and become Family Planning of the Coastal Bend.

Clients shouldn’t notice any changes in prices or services other than the office changing its name to Family Planning of the Coastal Bend, CEO Amanda Stuckenberg said.

Planned Parenthood wanted to standardize its operations at all of its agencies nationwide, Stuckenberg said.

That included a new requirement for all affiliates to perform abortions, something the Coastal Bend office didn’t see as necessary because of abortion services offered by local doctors, Stuckenberg said.

“We have never provided abortions,” she said. “Our position is that if that is a need in your community, fine. There are far greater needs in our area than abortion. We feel that women here have options. We don’t need to duplicate services.”

It’s unclear how many Planned Parenthood affiliates are following the local chapter’s lead. National officials couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.