Missouri's only abortion clinic may be forced to close this week
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A Planned Parenthood clinic. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Missouri's health department is "refusing to renew" Planned Parenthood's annual license to provide abortion services, likely forcing the state's last remaining abortion clinic to lose its license this week, CBS News reports.
Why it matters: If the clinic's license is not renewed by May 31, Missouri will become the first state since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 to not have an abortion clinic, Planned Parenthood said in a statement Tuesday.
Details: Several clinics in Missouri have shuttered due to their inability to comply with state regulations, such as extra pelvic exams for surgical and medical-administered abortions. In 2008, Missouri had 5 abortion clinics.
- Planned Parenthood said it would address the pelvic exam issue and who provides state-mandated counseling, but would not comply the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services' request to interview 7 doctors who work at the clinic.
- The clinic would only allow interviews with 2, as the others did not consent and weren't employed by the organization. Planned Parenthood said it anticipates on suing the state and will still deliver non-abortion related treatments for women.
- Though it will be unable to service abortions, the center will stay open to provide other family planning care, according to Planned Parenthood.
"This is not a drill. This is not a warning. This is a real public health crisis,"— Dr. Leana Wen, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America
The big picture: Separately, 6 states including Missouri have passed laws banning most abortions. Though the laws have not yet been executed and are facing court challenges, the clinic's anticipated closure relates to state regulations, not the new law.
Go deeper: The states that have passed new abortion restrictions
