Statement from Planned Parenthood Chief Health Care Officer: Intimidation of Providers is “Unconscionable and Unacceptable”

Over the past several days, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an ob-gyn in Indiana and a Planned Parenthood physician, has faced widespread attacks from anti-abortion politicians and organizations for providing essential health care to a 10-year-old child who experienced sexual assault resulting in a pregnancy. To these unfounded attacks, Dr. Diana Contreras, chief health care officer at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, responded with the following statement:

“For years, abortion providers and advocates alike have asserted that the overturning of Roe v. Wade would not only upend our nation’s health care and public health systems, but that it would have far-ranging, intolerable consequences for providers and patients alike.

“As providers, it is our ethical and professional commitment to provide compassionate, high-quality health care to every patient who comes to us, period. Instead, we are now in an environment where patient care is being dictated by cruel, anti-abortion policies aimed at eliminating abortion care altogether, putting people’s lives — children’s lives — at risk. No medical provider should be harassed, intimidated, or criminalized for doing their job. It is unconscionable and unacceptable, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

“Let’s be clear: There is no situation in which a person should be forced to carry a pregnancy against their will. We know the physical, mental, and financial harm that being denied an abortion can cause. We also know that young people, people with low incomes, and those from Black, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and other communities historically targeted by racism, bias, and discrimination suffer disproportionately from abortion bans and restrictions.”

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.