Planned Parenthood Great Plains Expands to Southwest Oklahoma, Opens New Health Center in Lawton to Increase Access to Family Planning and Other Essential Care

Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) is excited to launch a new health center in Lawton, Oklahoma, marking the organization's expansion into the southwestern region of the state. The Lawton location brings access to reproductive health care much closer to home for patients in a part of the state where there is an identified need for sexual health. The clinic started seeing patients for a wide range of services including birth control, STI and HIV testing and treatment, emergency contraception (morning-after pill), pregnancy testing and services, and general wellness care.

PPGP stopped providing abortion care in Oklahoma earlier this year, when the state enacted a total ban prior to the overruling of Roe v. Wade. While the health center will not provide abortion care, it will offer referrals to other health centers, along with medically accurate information and support for patients forced to leave their home states for care. 

Statement from Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains: 

“We made the decision to open a Lawton health center for one reason: to increase access to care for a community that needs our services. But it’s not lost on our team that this facility is opening during an incredibly difficult and scary time in the history of reproductive rights. Patients in Oklahoma remain confused about what’s legal and why they have fewer rights today than six months ago. Our hope is that our Lawton center sends a clear message: care remains available, and Planned Parenthood will continue to be a trusted provider in Oklahoma for years to come. No matter where patients live or how they identify, PPGP is here to ensure all can reach the care they need. We are proud to be in Lawton and offering affordable care, closer to home, that will allow patients to make informed, private decisions about their sexual and reproductive health based on medical facts.”

With a focus on health equity, PPGP determined expanding access to Lawton was crucial to addressing systemic issues in health care. Nearly 50% of the county’s population identifies as BIPOC, and an estimated 37% of Comanche County women aged 13-44, are in need of publicly funded contraceptive services and supplies. The most recent Comanche County Community Health Needs Assessment named sexual health, mental health, poverty, and infant mortality as key areas for improvement. As experts in providing quality, compassionate sexual and reproductive care, PPGP is equipped to help to address many of these unmet needs. 

Located at 1202 SW 67th St., the Lawton Health Center joins three others in Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and a new Edmond location) as part of PPGP’s expanded primary care network. At PPGP’s health centers, patients – insured, underinsured, and uninsured – can access services such as treatments for sinus or ear infections, seasonal allergies or illnesses, and gastrointestinal issues. A full listing of hours and available health services can be found on the Planned Parenthood Great Plains website. 

 Planned Parenthood Great Plains works to ensure that every individual has the knowledge, opportunity, and freedom to make informed, private decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Community input is vital to reaching this goal and Comanche County residents are encouraged to take the five-minute Community Needs Assessment survey, HERE.