Planned Parenthood North Central States recently announced plans to close four clinics in Iowa over the next year due to financial difficulties. The affected locations include Ames, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and Urbandale, alongside four clinics in Minnesota. 

According to Planned Parenthood to close 4 clinics in Iowa the organization will also reduce staff by laying off 66 employees and reassigning 37 others. 

Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, explained that these closures come amid shifts in patient needs, ongoing challenges within the healthcare system, a freeze on Minnesota Title X funds, and legislative actions defending Planned Parenthood. 

Richardson acknowledged the difficulty of these decisions but emphasized their importance in sustaining the organization’s future presence. 

Following these closures, Planned Parenthood will continue operating only two clinics in Iowa, Des Moines and Iowa City. 

The Des Moines Clinic, which recently expanded hours and services, does not provide abortion care. The closure of the Ames clinic will leave Iowa with a single abortion provider which is the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City. 

Since the enactment of Iowa’s law banning abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, the number of abortions performed within the state has dropped sharply. 

Planned Parenthood reported a 60% decrease in abortions within six months of the law’s implementation, while the number of Iowans traveling to neighboring states like Minnesota and Nebraska for abortion services has increased by 239%. 

Amid the closure of the Ames Planned Parenthood, students and residents may turn to Iowa State University Thielen Student Health Center (TSHC) for reproductive and sexual health care. 

“Thielen Student Health Center (TSHC) offers broad primary care services which include sexual and reproductive health, a variety of birth control options including emergency contraception, and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. We also have an onsite pharmacy where prescriptions can be filled, as well as an onsite lab so we can get quick turnaround time on test results,”  Erin Baldwin, Associate Vice President and Director of Student Health and Wellness at Theilen, said. 

Baldwin noted that so far, the closure announcement of the Ames Planned Parenthood has not led to an increase in student appointments related to reproductive health but emphasized the need to inform students of available services covered under the student health fee.

According to Baldwin, students do not need health insurance to access primary care at Thielen, as visits are included with the student health fee. While labs and prescriptions may have costs, the center strives to keep these affordable and offers a sliding fee discount program. Confidentiality and convenience are priorities, with online scheduling available through a secure portal.

“We want students to know that Thielen can be a great resource,” Baldwin said. “We’re conveniently located on campus and understand the unique needs of students. We’re here to help answer questions and support students navigating their healthcare.”

While Thielen serves as an on-campus resource for Iowa State students, other organizations across the state also provide other services. 

The Family Planning Council of Iowa administers Title X federal funding to health centers across 55 Iowa Counties. 

“We fund different sub-recipient health centers who, in turn, provide family planning services like birth control, STI testing and treatment, on a sliding fee scale so that folks can afford services based on their income,” Allison Smith, executive director of councils, said.

Smith also highlighted the organization’s “Repro Kit” program, which offers free customizable reproductive health kits. 

“We first started handing them out at clinics, like you might leave the dentist with a toothbrush. You’d go home with a bag that had two doses of emergency contraception, a couple of condoms and lube, pregnancy test strips, and a guide,” Smith said. 

Smith expressed that the demand grew, and the council developed a statewide mailing system. 

“We built a form on our website where you could request a kit for free, and now we send them anywhere in Iowa. Now, users can customize their kits based on personal needs, such as latex-free condoms or omitting items they don’t use. We just want people to get what they need,” Smith said. 

According to Smith, in addition to Repro Kits, the council has launched a harm-reduction vending machine in collaboration with the Polk County Health Department in Des Moines. The machine includes emergency contraception, condoms, Narcan, and Opill. 

“It was stocked twice a day for the first few weeks, it’s been very successful,” Smith said. 

Though the vending machine is currently only in Des Moines, the council hopes to expand the initiative. 

“We’re doing what we can to reduce stigma, provide access confidentially, and eventually bring these options to more communities across the state,” Smith said.