We at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida have not just refused to back down -- we have ramped up
By any measure, the past three years have been among the most difficult in the history of reproductive rights in Florida. Amid the chaos and cruelty, one thing has remained constant: Planned Parenthood's unshakable commitment to providing compassionate, accessible care.
From abortion bans to restrictions on gender-affirming care for adults and minors alike, politicians in Tallahassee have been relentless in their attacks against our bodily autonomy, an assault that has only succeeded in triggering a wave of devastating consequences throughout our communities. When the 15-week abortion ban was implemented in 2022, it was more than just bad policy -- it was a cruel, calculated attempt to strip people of their medical freedoms and force women to remain pregnant against their will and, in some cases, against the medical expertise of their doctors. In May 2024, lawmakers doubled down and implemented the current six-week abortion ban, cutting many women off from care before they even realize they are pregnant.
They then took things a step further, refusing to fix the law's vague, dangerous language, despite desperate pleas from both doctors and patients, and set about using taxpayer dollars to actively interfere with citizen-led efforts to restore Floridians' basic reproductive rights, as we saw with Amendment 4 in November.
Through it all, we at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida have not just refused to back down -- we have ramped up our efforts to expand care and meet the needs of the Floridians who rely on us.
Since the near-total, six-week abortion ban went into effect, we've continued providing abortion care in six of our nine health centers. In that time, we've seen a flood of patients forced to travel for care; however, thanks to our dedicated staff and providers, these patients are met not with closed doors, but with understanding and support.
Over these last 12 months, our compassionate, trauma-trained navigators have worked tirelessly to assist over 1,700 Florida patients who were beyond six weeks pregnant to find legal, out-of-state abortion options.
These patients often require help with funding transportation, childcare, meals and hotel accommodations -- for what is frequently their first time traveling out of Florida. As abortion restrictions have increased across the country, this has only become more challenging, but we have remained steadfast and adapted to overcome every obstacle.
For example, when North Carolina became one of the few states in our region where abortion was still accessible up to 12 weeks, their mandatory 72-hour delay forced Florida patients to be away from work and family for up to four days. So, we took steps to credential our Florida-based providers in North Carolina, allowing patients to begin their counseling here and spend more time at home with their families before traveling out of state. This was a small solution in the face of the larger problem -- but it saves patients time and money, and, in some cases, ensures they can access care before it is too late.
While others close doors and cut services, we continue expanding ours. In just the last six months, we've grown to offer prenatal and infertility care, vasectomies, sedation for IUD placement, and free pregnancy tests and emergency contraception -- not just in our health centers but on college campuses across our region. We worked diligently to reopen gender-affirming care services despite the dangerous, anti-scientific roadblocks put up by our government. We've reduced wait times for appointments to just three to five days and have slashed the cost of birth control pills to $9. We offer long-acting contraceptives at prices 30% below the market rate, and, at a time when many private providers are turning away Medicaid patients, we continue to welcome them.
While our Legislature chooses to ignore the 57% of Floridians who voted in support of reproductive freedom, we're stepping up -- filling the gaps, meeting the moment and refusing to let our patients fall through the cracks.
I've dedicated 26 years of my life to Planned Parenthood because I believe that health care is a human right. I believe in the power of people to decide their own futures. And I believe in fighting for a world where health care isn't dictated by politics.
As my dear friend Cecile Richards said shortly before her passing this year: "It's not hard to imagine future generations one day asking, 'When there was so much at stake for our country, what did you do?' The only acceptable answer is. 'Everything we could.'"
At Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, we're still here. We're still fighting. And we're still providing care to nearly 45,000 patients across 22 counties through nine brick-and-mortar health centers and our virtual telehealth platform.
No matter what the future brings, Planned Parenthood will hold our ground, dig in, push forward, and continue doing everything we can to fight this -- together. Our patients are counting on it.