Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 10, 1994 TAG: 9502100090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY AND CODY LOWE STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Other reactions were mixed.
A spokeswoman for an anti-abortion group had harsh criticism of the decision, and United Way of Roanoke Valley issued a statement saying that none of the money it provides to Planned Parenthood can be used for abortion services.
Planned Parenthood confirmed this week that it will start doing first-trimester abortions at its Roanoke Center later this year.
The Roanoke Medical Center in Old Southwest, which does first-trimester abortions only on Wednesdays, cannot meet the demand for the services because it is the only abortion clinic in Southwest Virginia, Marsha Scott, co-director, said Thursday.
``We can only schedule so many appointments,'' she said. The center, which is the private practice of nurse practitioner Mary Nottingham, has two out-of-town physicians who rotate on staff on Wednesday.
The medical center averages 140 abortions a month, Scott said. It charges $270 to do an abortion.
Like the Roanoke Medical Center, Planned Parenthood will offer only first-trimester abortions and will charge similar fees, said its president, Kathryn Haynie.
Abortion opponent Andrea Sexton was skeptical of Planned Parenthood's motives.
``This is obviously a business decision,'' said Sexton, spokeswoman for the regional chapter of the Virginia Society for Human Life. Sexton believes the agency has concluded that ``the money they lose in donations will be more than offset by fees they receive for abortions."
``Planned Parenthood is comfortable making money ... aborting unborn children whose hearts will be beating, who will have fingerprints, and who most likely can feel pain.
``If anything, it shows that Planned Parenthood is not doing a good job at preventing pregnancy,'' Sexton said. ``They are profiting off their own failure.''
Sexton also rejected Planned Parenthood's contention in its letter to supporters that it will ``have more opportunities to help women avoid repeat unintended pregnancies if they remain within our comprehensive reproductive health care program.''
``It is completely disingenuous to claim they are doing this to prevent abortions,'' Sexton said. ``You don't stop abortion by getting into the abortion business.''
Because the Virginia Society for Human Life does not organize or promote protests or picketing outside abortion clinics, Sexton said she could not speculate on the impact Planned Parenthood's decision might have on such demonstrations.
Of the 161 Planned Parenthood agencies in the country, 73 offer abortion services. That is up from a year ago, said Mona Miller, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Planned Parenthood centers, including some that don't offer abortion services, have been targets of violent protests against abortion. A Planned Parenthood worker and a worker at another clinic were killed in Massachusetts last month.
Planned Parenthood facilities ``get daily threats and scares, daily hate mail and daily things sprayed on our buildings,'' Miller said.
Blue Ridge agency officials acknowledge concern about the violence against abortion providers, but said they felt an obligation to make certain that any woman who wants an abortion has access to it.
By offering abortions, the center also will not have to refer a regular patient elsewhere if the patient wants an abortion, they said.
Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge operates centers on Liberty Road in Northwest Roanoke and in Blacksburg and Charlottesville. It will start abortion services in Roanoke only, but will add them in the other communities if there is a need, Haynie said.
The centers have expanded services in general, she said. Last month, they began to do pre-conceptual health profiles to help women prepare for pregnancy and to offer counseling for women who are experiencing menopause. HIV testing also will be added.
Planned Parenthood also operates a program aimed at reducing teen pregnancy. It is funded by $41,567 from United Way of Roanoke Valley. The allocation to Planned Parenthood is restricted to that program, United Way said Thursday in a statement released to news media.
``No United Way funds are used or ever have been used to support abortion services,'' the statement said.
by CNB