Planned Parenthood boasts of continuing abortions

The country’s largest abortion provider received over $2 billion in public and private funding during the fiscal year ending in June of 2023, according to the 2023-2024 annual report released Monday. About $684 million came from private contributions while about $792 million came from taxpayer dollars through government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements. Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding has increased by 50% since 2013, according to the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute.

The organization’s number of abortions and level of public funding hit a ten-year high, according to a WORLD analysis of Planned Parenthood’s annual reports over the last decade. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute agree that the number of U.S. abortions peaked in 1990.

How many abortions did the organization perform? During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Planned Parenthood performed 402,230 abortions, over 9,500 more than the previous year. By comparison, the organization provided just 7,008 prenatal services, 3,598 miscarriage care services, and only 2,148 adoption referrals. As states across the country have instituted pro-life laws, and brick-and-mortar Planned Parenthood facilities have closed, the organization has grown its so-called patient navigation program. The program provided more than 12,500 women with a total of $3.4 million in financial assistance to travel for abortions. Planned Parenthood also released instructional videos about the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol that teach women how to take the pills, and their potential side effects.

What other services does the organization provide? Planned Parenthood also conducts cancer screenings, contraceptive services, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases and infections. However, the organization’s total number of services has declined by more than 10% in the last decade, even though it performed over 22% more abortions in fiscal year 2022-2023 than in 2012-2013. According to the latest annual report, Planned Parenthood provided 54% fewer cancer screenings and cancer prevention services than it did a decade ago, and its contraceptive services dropped by more than 37%.

What have pro-life groups said about the report? The American Life League criticized Planned Parenthood for excluding information about abortion drugs and how frequently they are prescribed. The Catholic pro-life group’s national director Katie Brown Xavios said the organization uses its online services to deliver abortion pills, contraception, and hormone drugs to patients across the country. Meanwhile, Live Action called for the organization to be defunded because Planned Parenthood has allegedly failed to comply with mandatory reporting requirements imposed on recipients of federal funds. The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said Planned Parenthood harms women, girls, and unborn babies and called on lawmakers to remove funding for the organization in favor of community health centers. 

Dig deeper: Read Bekah McCallum’s report about why defunding Planned Parenthood may not help pregnancy support organizations.