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Will Merger in
Iowa Mean More Web-Cam Abortions?
Part Two of Three By Dave Andrusko Before I wade into this important story, a quick preview of a related story. Guttmacher, while an offshoot of Planned Parenthood (formerly it was PPFA's in-house think tank), provides the most complete abortion numbers. Guttmacher's most recent report will be formally released tomorrow at which point NRLC's Dr. Randall K. O'Bannon will analyze "Abortion Incidence and Access to Services in the United States, 2008" for Today's News & Views.
The use of chemical abortions pulls lethal double-duty for PPFA. What do I mean by that? The Abortion Industry is constantly looking for way to increase supply and demand. On the supply side, PPFA understood from the beginning that there are doctors who would never perform abortions that rip the heads off of torso of unborn babies, but who might talk themselves into dispensing "pills." On the demand side, in addition to enlisting new abortionists into their ranks (seduced by the technique's greater impersonality), chemical abortions can be performed long-distance--the now famous "web-cam" abortions. "Underserved" rural areas are the target. (Think of a Skyping, only with a much smoother connection, and you'll have a rough understanding. BTW: Some reporters refer to these as "telemed abortions.") The abortionist can be hundreds--indeed thousands-- of miles away. After a perfunctory conversation via a video-conferencing system he electronically opens a drawer out of which the woman takes out misoprostol and mifepristone. Merging PPFA clinics merges the attempt to enhance supply and demand. Merging eliminates less profitable clinics, including clinics which do not perform abortions. Right now, according to th Washington Post, only Planned Parenthood of the Heartland reportedly performs web-cam abortions. Last month PP of the Heartland signed a contract with Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa "that would, in effect, merge the two entities into one," reports Kurt Ulltrich of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. "That has sparked local concern that the merger would engender the use of telemed abortions." Not surprisingly Ulltrich couldn't get a straight answer out of Shelby Cloke, communications director for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. But the Telegraph Herald had already "obtained a copy of a letter recently sent to Planned Parenthood donors by Jill June, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, and interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa," according to Ulltrich. "In the letter, June makes direct reference to the former CEO of Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa, Joe Lock. 'One of the natural concerns of any merger is about the people, particularly the leadership,' June wrote. 'Joe Lock and I have worked together as CEOs these past five years. In fact, it was Joe who sought us out to find a way to expand and provide telemedicine to clients of PPECI." As previously discussed in TN&V, there are plans to introduce legislation in Iowa to ban doctors from prescribing and dispensing abortifacients via the Internet, efforts which will be duplicated elsewhere, including Nebraska, where PP of the Heartland already has clinics. Please send your comments on Today's News & Views and National Right to Life News Today to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha. |
No
doubt one major theme will be the increase in what the
abortion industry and its defenders call "medical
abortions" (as contrasted with "surgical" abortions).
This refers to chemically-induced abortions, customarily
the two-drug RU-486 combination of misoprostol and
mifepristone.