By Jim Sedlak
American Life League’s STOPP program recently released our 2018 Planned Parenthood Facilities Report. It is an annual survey of all Planned Parenthood locations in the United States.
The report showed a continued decline in the total number of Planned Parenthood locations and a loss of seven surgical abortion centers. However, Planned Parenthood countered the trend by beginning medication abortions at eight more of its centers. Those openings, combined with the closure of a large number of independent abortion facilities in the nation, left Planned Parenthood running 51.5 percent of all free-standing abortuaries.
Looking at Planned Parenthood’s overall operations, we find that it closed 11 centers in 11 states, while opening in just three new communities—one in each of three states. Planned Parenthood has gone from 938 facilities at its peak in 1995 to just 590 facilities at the end of 2018. This is a closing of 37 percent of its facilities! It was also noted that Wyoming and North Dakota are still the two states where Planned Parenthood does not operate a single medical facility.
Over the years, Planned Parenthood has tried to offset this loss of centers by opening larger and more upscale mega buildings to attract new customers and accommodate those people who went to its now-closed facilities. A careful analysis of the Planned Parenthood customer count—given in its annual reports from 2006 through 2016—shows this strategy is not working. During that 11-year stretch, Planned Parenthood closed 24.9 percent of its facilities, opened 15 mega abortion centers, and saw its customer base drop by 23.6 percent.
The dwindling facilities and customer numbers have also had an effect on Planned Parenthood’s single most lucrative activity—abortions. Despite its ever-increasing emphasis on abortion, it has struggled to even maintain its abortion numbers. Over the last nine years, PP has averaged 328,019 abortions a year, with a low of 321,384 and a high of 333,964. It currently commits 1,207 less than it did in 2011.
It is estimated that over 50,000 babies will be saved in 2019 because 348 PP centers are no longer around.
Here are just a few additional highlights from our report:
- Planned Parenthood has gone from 938 facilities in 1995 to just 590 facilities at the end of 2018.
- Planned Parenthood has a total of 357 facilities that commit surgical or medication abortions—a total number that has been consistent for the last four years.
- Every Planned Parenthood affiliate has at least one center that commits abortion. Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands commits abortions at 26 of its 27 centers. The one that doesn’t commit abortions is in Seattle (WA), where Planned Parenthood has four other centers that all do abortions.
- Surgical and/or medical abortions are committed at 60.5 percent of Planned Parenthood’s facilities.
- All 590 Planned Parenthood facilities distribute abortifacient drugs and devices.
STOPP’s focus for the last 35 years has always been on the local level with an aim of working with local people to close down every Planned Parenthood facility in the United States. After being involved with Bishop John Yanta and Rita Diller in the Diocese of Amarillo (TX) and witnessing Planned Parenthood close 19 centers in 12 years, we adopted their techniques, and, with Rita’s help, created our Bringing Jesus to Planned Parenthood through Mary Campaign. We immediately saw acceleration in the closing of Planned Parenthood facilities (from nine a year to 26 a year). This 2018 report strengthens our resolve to not only keep the Mary Campaign as our primary emphasis, but to increase our efforts to spread the use of the rosary as the primary weapon in the fight against Planned Parenthood.
As political parties across the country appear to cave in to Planned Parenthood’s wishes, you will see from us an absolute increase in our spiritual efforts to close down this demonic organization.
To view the full report, which contains a great deal of additional information, visit stopp.org/pdfs/2018/2018_PP_Facilities_Report.pdf.
Jim Sedlak is executive director of American Life League, founder of STOPP International, and host of a weekly talk show on the Radio Maria Network. He has been successfully fighting Planned Parenthood since 1985.
