The new Planned Parenthood clinic in Birmingham will start offering abortions at their new location, 1019 First Ave. North. The clinic opened on July 14.
According to AL.com, Barbara Ann Luttrell, vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood Southeast, said, “It’s 11,000 square feet, a state-of-the-art facility,” she said. “We will offer a full spectrum of reproductive health services.”
Abortions had not been offered at the old Planned Parenthood location since 2017. The office was located in Birmingham off Highland Ave was frequently a staging area for anti-abortion protests. Pro-life groups picket abortion clinics with volunteer “sidewalk counselors,” who try to dissuade women from having an abortion. The new clinic has a fenced-in parking area with a gate and security cameras.
Construction began in January 2019. Soon after, the Alabama Legislature passed the Human Life Protection Act to make abortion illegal in Alabama except when the mother’s life is in danger. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the nearly complete ban on abortion into law in May 2019.
“To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.
Soon after the ban, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood sued to stop the law. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson blocked the ban with a preliminary injunction in October 2019, staying it was unconstitutional.
Currently, there are three abortion clinics in Alabama. They are in Huntsville, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. The Birmingham office will be the fourth. Planned Parenthood provides a full array of reproductive services, including birth control, STD testing, and reproductive education. According to their website, “The majority of Planned Parenthood’s services are preventive: care that helps prevent unintended pregnancies with birth control and sex education, reduce the spread of STDs through testing and treatment, and screen for cervical, breast, and other cancers.”
