How Planned Parenthood makes a difference in Minnesota

Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS) is advertising a nursing position at its abortion center in St. Paul. "Make a difference in someone's life today—work for Planned Parenthood!" the job listing says.

What kind of difference?

PPMNS—the local affiliate of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America—has been the state's leading abortion provider since 2004. In 2012 Planned Parenthood performed 3,917 abortions in Minnesota, an average of more than 10 per day. It performed 36.6 percent of all abortions, and almost 1,700 more abortions than the next largest provider.

Planned Parenthood increased its abortions by 8.6 percent in 2012 even as the state total decreased. It has increased its abortion total by 60 percent since 2000. State abortions decreased 26 percent in the same period.

Abortion is big business. PPMNS had a 2012 revenue of $32.48 million, receiving $4.46 million from the government (federal, state and local). Some taxpayer dollars directly pay for abortions. In 2011 (the latest data available) Planned Parenthood was reimbursed more than $196,000 by taxpayers for 865 abortions performed on low-income women. The percentage of Minnesota abortions funded by the state has steadily increased and reached 34 percent in 2012.

Planned Parenthood is also very active politically. It works to elect pro-abortion political candidates and has vigorously fought pro-life legislation at the state Capitol. It even opposes the most mainstream, commonsense measures, such as the Woman's Right to Know informed consent law and Positive Alternatives, which provides practical help to pregnant women in need.

PPMNS opened its large new headquarters in St. Paul at the end of 2011. And in 2010 it began remotely prescribing RU486 chemical abortions to women at its Rochester facility who never meet with a doctor in person. The method allows Planned Parenthood to expand abortion to more locations, but it only exacerbates the risks of RU486 to the health of women. (These "webcam abortions" were recently banned for safety reasons by the Iowa Board of Medicine in the only other state where they take place.)

So what kind of difference does Planned Parenthood make? Each year Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota brings in millions of dollars by destroying thousands of innocent human lives and causing emotional and psychological harm to an unknown number of women (and men).

Planned Parenthood does make a difference.