LAFAYETTE — In the next five months, six Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana will close or merge, bringing the number of clinics in the state from 23 to 17. And although the Lafayette clinic remains untouched, the restructuring raises questions about the impetus for the closures and the future of the clinics.
Ali Slocum, communications director for Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, said the decision to close the branches wasn't a political one and it should not cast a shadow over the future operations of other clinics.
"This was not a political move. We are operating as a responsible nonprofit," Slocum said. The reorganization is a result of a decreased demand for Planned Parenthood services.
A number of factors contributed to a slow down in traffic for some clinics in Indiana, and the consolidation of services is an effort to eliminate redundancies and conserve resources. Since the American College of OB-GYN recommended Pap tests on a three-year basis instead of annually, the number of patients coming in for Pap tests dropped precipitously. Additionally, as access to emergency contraceptives and long-term contraceptives — like IUDs — increased, patients have less need of annual appointments prescribing birth control.
None of the closing clinics provide abortion services, but Slocum said that was not a major factor in the decision.
In places like Muncie and Terre Haute, the council funds family planning clinics that can absorb some of the patients Planned Parenthood serves in the community, said Kristin Adams, president and CEO of Indiana Family Health Council. The council administers Title X funding. Adams said that can mean there are few patient barriers and those who are 100 percent below the poverty line can receive services without charge.
Tippecanoe County has no Title X-funded clinics, Adams said, and if Planned Parenthood were to disappear in the area, that would result in a significant gap in coverage.