ICYMI: Court Rules to Temporarily Protect Abortion Access for Ohioans

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 22, 2019

ICYMI: Court Rules to Temporarily Protect Abortion Access for Ohioans

Cincinnati, OH – Yesterday, a federal court granted a temporary restraining order in favor of Planned Parenthood and Women’s Med Center of Dayton in their latest lawsuit to protect Ohioans’ access to safe, legal abortion. For now, this ruling will continue to allow patients and health care providers to make medical decisions that are best for them without interference from politicians while the case proceeds.

Statement from Iris E. Harvey, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio:

“While Planned Parenthood is pleased that the courts have temporarily blocked this ban from taking effect, we know that there is more work to do to ensure patients’ right to health care is not further eroded.

“This ban is just another example of how Ohio politicians continue to chip away at reproductive rights, putting the health and safety of Ohioans’ at greater risk. Planned Parenthood is prepared to relentlessly fight for all Ohioans’ access the full spectrum of reproductive health care, including safe, legal abortion.”

In December, anti-women’s health politicians in the Ohio legislature passed Senate Bill 145, which bans a safe and medically-preferred method of second-trimester abortion. This lawsuit seeks to block that legislation from going into effect on March 22, 2019. Major medical organizations like the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists oppose this type of ban.

For years, Governor Mike DeWine (formerly Ohio’s Attorney General) has actively participated in the coordinated national strategy of anti-reproductive health politicians, who’ve passed more than 400 restrictions on abortion at the state level since 2010. In Ohio, 21 abortion restrictions have been passed and signed into law in that time.

Just this week, the Ohio Legislature entertained two anti-abortion bills that are quickly making their way toward Gov. DeWine’s desk, including a six-week abortion ban that will ban safe, legal abortion before most individuals know that they are pregnant. Gov. DeWine has stated numerous times, that he will sign the bill in hopes that it will be litigated in the courts all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade and ban abortion entirely.

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About Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio: The mission of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio is to protect, promote, and provide empowered health care for generations of women, men, and families across Ohio. PPGOH conducts approximately 119,000 patient visits annually throughout Ohio including metropolitan areas in Toledo, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Mansfield, Cleveland, Columbus, and Athens. www.ppgoh.org.