Planned Parenthood of Southern New England says it will continue to providing abortion services and counseling, despite a new rule that prevents federal family planning grant recipients from talking with patients about abortion.
Guidelines on the new rule could come as early as next week. Planned Parenthood of Southern New England receives over $2 million in federal Title X funding, which the organization uses to provide cancer screening, STI testing, and family planning services to more than 42,000 low income people in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
For now, the organization says it has stopped using the funds, while a legal battle continues over the so called “gag rule.”
Instead the organization is using emergency funds to cover family planning services for low income clients, says Kafi Rouse.
If that money runs out, “We have donors who have said, you’re too important to close. We’re not gonna let that happen. And if the time comes we will reach out to them and say we need you to keep our doors open.”
That decision is in line with Planned Parenthood clinics around the country.