Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s abortion access capacity grows with City of Columbus donation

COLUMBUS, OH - On Monday, July 25, 2022, Columbus City Council voted unanimously to pass a legislative package protecting reproductive health - awarding Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio (PPGOH) $500,000 to provide critical support for people seeking abortions in Ohio.

While PPGOH remains a proud abortion provider in Ohio, it is restricted after the first detectable fetal cardiac tones which is approximately six-weeks. The funds awarded by the City will be used by PPGOH’s patient navigator program to directly reduce the financial burden of Ohioans that are forced to leave the state to receive abortion care services after six-weeks.

PPGOH’s patient navigators assist patients by assessing any socio-emotional, financial, logistical, and practical barriers to accessing abortion care outside of the state. This support includes financial assistance for food, transportation, lodging, and childcare to patients in need. In addition to this support, is extensive planning and journey mapping to connect Ohioans to a safe abortion provider - potentially hundreds of miles away. Patients receiving care through navigators will receive a “passport” that contains vital records to ensure a seamless transition of care as they overcome these unimaginable obstacles.

“You have signaled to your citizens that you trust the choice that they make for their lives and they can count on you to help break down barriers, to reject inequalities and to welcome back to this state any person who needs to travel out of state to get the abortion they need.” PPGOH President and CEO Iris Harvey remarked about the Columbus City Council’s bold initiative.

Council President Pro Tempore Elizabeth Brown and Councilmembers Lourdes Barroso de Padilla and Shayla Favor, the Columbus City Council Women’s Caucus, proposed the legislative package includes key ordinances to safeguard residents’ rights to direct their own reproductive choices even within the harsh six-week ban.

$1 million Education and Access Fund to reduce financial barriers to abortion access as well as bolster community education regarding safe and legal reproductive health care choices.
De-prioritize enforcement of abortion “crimes” by directing prosecutors and law enforcement to not share information or surveil residents’ reproductive health care choices.
Allow for the City to examine the actions and practices of crisis pregnancy centers to ensure residents are not being given false and misleading information.

We are proud to share that our partners in the fight for abortion access in Ohio, Ohio Womens Alliance and Abortion Fund of Ohio, are also funding recipients of this package.

The support from the City of Columbus is indicative of the fact that the majority of Ohioans and people across the country support access to safe abortion care. Harvey said, “...All people need the freedom to make decisions about their bodies without the restrictions and interference by the state.”

View the 7/22/2022 press conference announcing the award here.

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The mission of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio is to provide, protect, and expand empowered health care for generations of people across Ohio. PPGOH serves approximately 52,000 patients annually throughout Ohio including metropolitan areas in Akron, Athens, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Mansfield, Toledo, and Youngstown. Learn more at ppgoh.org