CALCUTTA Planned Parenthood urges use of other centers

By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
CALCUTTA -- Although Planned Parenthood of Mahoning Valley will close its Calcutta health center Friday, the staff is committed to Columbiana County families, said Karen Hackenberry, president and chief executive officer.
Hackenberry said women and families seeking Planned Parenthood services are welcome at the Youngstown and Warren health clinics.
She said loss of state funding because of budget cuts forced the closing of the Calcutta health center. She said PPMV has had a presence in Columbiana County since 1973.
Budget crisis
Hackenberry said that in 2003 the Ohio budget crisis resulted in cuts to programs that funded PPMVs community education and family planning services. Then came the loss of Ohio's family planning program, created nearly 20 years ago to help working poor and uninsured and underinsured women and families prevent unintended pregnancies, she said.
Hackenberry said pressure on the Ohio Legislature from the Ohio Right to Life organization stripped contraceptive care from women's health services and created a women's health program.
She said the new funding does not have to be used for birth control services and none of the money will be spent in Columbiana County.
"Family planning is about prevention," she said. "Without affordable contraception, more women will face unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion will go up."
Served many
Hackenberry said the center in the Ogilvie Square shopping center on state Route 170 served nearly 1,400 women and men annually with services such as annual exams, birth control, cancer screening, and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
tullis@vindy.com