LANCASTER, Pa. — On Tuesday, Sept. 13, Planned Parenthood opened a new Lancaster clinic on Manor Street. This marks the first time Planned Parenthood has had a physical location in Lancaster County since 2020.
“I’m really excited that we’re opening this month," said Melissa Reed, CEO of Planned Parenthood Keystone. “Many people seek out Planned Parenthood because they know that we provide non-judgmental care of a high quality.”
Reed says the clinic will offer a wide variety of sexual and reproductive care to residents, including medicated abortion within a year. This marks the first time a Planned Parenthood clinic has offered abortion in Lancaster County.
“At our prior location on Lime Street, we were prohibited from offering abortion," said Reed. "When we were trying to find a new site, we were making sure that the new site would be zoned appropriately so that we would be able to offer medication abortion care.”
The opening of the Manor Street clinic is facing opposition from local politicians and pro-life activists. County Commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D’Agostino voiced their opposition to the facility. Republican Congressman Lloyd Smucker called Tuesday’s opening a "sad day for Lancaster."
Alexis Sneller with the Pennsylvania Family Institute says medicated abortions are dangerous procedures for women.
“For a majority of women, they will bleed for 16 days, some women bleed for a month, and some women require hospitalization," said Sneller. "In the past two reporting years, complications from chemical abortions have tripled.”
Sneller says her organization will continue supporting residents who are against the Planned Parenthood clinic.
“I can confidently say that a majority of Lancaster County is pro-life," said Sneller. “It’s something that we’ve taken a stand against before and taken a stand for life, and I’m confident that the residents will do that again.”