Sexually transmitted diseases rise where abortion clinics closed in Iowa

Flashback: In 2017, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland announced it was closing clinics in Bettendorf, Burlington, Keokuk and Sioux City after the Iowa Legislature passed a bill that blocked public money from going to abortion providers, the Register reported.

• Those clinics combined saw more than 14,600 patients over a three-year period.

State of play: The study examined chlamydia and gonorrhea cases between Iowa counties that did and didn't close their clinics.

• While there was an increase in infections statewide over that time period, gonorrhea rates doubled post-closures in the four counties.

The bottom line: Beyond clinic closures, a variety of factors have led to a surge in STD and STI rates nationwide, including decreased condom usage and increased needle sharing during the opioid crisis.