That's right: 23,000 STD tests. In 2009, the Portland and SW Washington branches of Planned Parenthood gave locals 23,000 STD tests. This year, they'll be able to do many more. After a planning and construction process plagued by protesters, Planned Parenthood's new NE Portland headquarters finally opens this Valentine's Day.
"Valentine’s Day is a day where people are celebrating love and celebrating healthy relationships," says Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Liz Delapoer. "We help people have healthy relationships."
The new Planned Parenthood HQ on NE MLK will house ground-floor retail, a large clinic and the region's administrative offices. They will offer all the services from their old NE branch, including medication abortion, but not in-clinic surgical abortion. Construction for the new $12 million building stayed on track despite frequent anti-abortion protests
that led the main construction contractor to quit because he feared for his family.
- via
- If this pair aren't at the grand opening, I will be sad.
• In 2009, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette distributed 333,000 units of birth control, including packs of birth control pills, IUDs and diaphragms.
• They also did 17,000 pap smears.
• And 22,000 pregnancy tests (which are free at all their walk-in clinics).
• 92 percent of clients are within 185 percent of the poverty line (that means making less than $20,000, if you're a single person)
•74 percent of clients are between the ages of 18-29.
More details below the cut!
A key point in the protests was the NE location of the new Planned Parenthood. "They don't put Planned Parenthood in well-to-do neighborhoods," one African American protester told The Oregonian last year. "They are out to control how many children black people have."
Delapoer says Planned Parenthood decided to site the new clinic in NE because its current clinic on NE 15th and Fremont was getting more patients every year was completely at capacity, providing services seven days a week. "All of our health centers are seeing an increase in patients, the health care system in our country is not doing a good job of meeting the needs of low income women," says Delapoer. "That’s true of Northeast Portland, as it is the rest of Oregon."
Stop by the big opening ceremony from 2-4pm this Sunday (2/14) at 3727 NE MLK. The national president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, will be there!
Do not stop by the opening ceremony! Turns out the event is press-only, not open to the general public. I guess you'll just have to hear what happens from me.
