Having learned that one of the most-searched phrases on its website is “abortion near me,” Planned Parenthood has launched a new online tool called the Abortion Care Finder.
Under extreme regulatory pressure, Planned Parenthood has in the last year seen a total of 26 anti-abortion bills passed in states such as Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama, the last of which bans all abortion with no exceptions for cases involving rape or incest (That ban is currently temporarily blocked by a federal judge).
People visiting Planned Parenthood’s website will get information about the nearest abortion clinics, as well as any state requirements, after they input their age, zip code, and first day of their last period. According to Planned Parenthood, users had come to its website searching for information on getting an abortion in their area as well as different abortion methods.
“Like all of Planned Parenthood’s digital tools, the Abortion Care Finder was built by listening to the people we serve and evaluating how visitors use our website, so we can get people the information they want and need to make their own health-care decisions as clearly and easily as possible,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement.
According to the New York Times, if the tool shows the nearest Planned Parenthood location to be more than 60 miles away, it will refer users to a map supplied by the National Abortion Federation that includes independent providers, though it has less detailed information than Planned Parenthood’s built-in tool.
“The Abortion Care Finder uses technology to help put agency back in the hands of our patients,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. “As politicians are increasingly trying to keep people from accessing care or even information related to their sexual and reproductive health, it’s our duty to ensure people can still access health care and accurate, trustworthy information — no matter what.”
