Planned Parenthood Annual Report Shows Contraception Down, Abortions Up
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The national Planned Parenthood abortion business and its supporters say that the promotion of contraception and birth control is supposed to reduce the number of abortions. However, buried in the new Planned Parenthood annual report is evidence showing the number of contraception customers is down while the number of abortions is on the rise. "We have been tracking Planned Parenthood numbers for over 25 years and it has always used the number of female birth control customers as its primary measure of its business," says Jim Sedlack of the watchdog group STOPP International. Since 1999, this number has increased every year – going from 1,807,350 in 1999 to 2,453,906 in 2006. However, the latest PPFA Annual Report shows that the number of female birth control customers went down in 2007 – dropping to 2,360,796, or 3.8 percent in one year. "Further analysis of the numbers shows that, not only the female birth control customers went down, but the number of breast exams, prenatal care and emergency contraceptive kits sold, all went down. In fact, although the number of babies it killed through abortion increased by 15,560, its total contraception business fell by almost 100,000 customers – a 2.5 percent drop," Sedlack explained. What does this mean? Sedlack says it shows Planned Parenthood is losing support with average Americans.

Arizona County Attorney Gets OK for Planned Parenthood Sex Abuse Investigation
Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) -- After one county attorney said he would not investigate the Planned Parenthood abortion business for allegedly covering up a potential case of sexual abuse, another county attorney now has permission to move forward. The Pima County District Attorney's Office now has jurisdiction back from the state Attorney General's Office to investigate Planned Parenthood Tucson for deliberately concealing the statutory rape of young girls. Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall deferred review of the matter to the Attorney General's Office, but the Attorney General now states that it does not have the statutory jurisdiction to do so. Arizona law enforcement became involved in February following an undercover video release by Live Action and pro-life activist Lila Rose, who entered a Tucson Planned Parenthood clinic posing as a 15-year-old girl seeking an abortion without her parents' knowledge. When Rose says her "boyfriend" is 27, the nurse urges her not to bring him to her hearing for a judicial bypass from Arizona's parental consent requirement: "I wouldn't take him with me, no. I mean: don't take him." After Live Action sent the unedited footage to both the Attorney General and the Pima County Attorney, the latter informed Rose that it would "take no action at this time" regarding the videos, because "as is our standard practice, when the Attorney General's Office is investigating and/or prosecuting a Case, our Office defers to the Attorney General." In a recent letter to Rose, the AG Office's criminal division states that it "does not have the statutory jurisdiction to initiate a criminal investigation" into the matter. The letter states that this determination was made after the Pima County Attorney forwarded Live Action's materials to the Attorney General for review. "Though confused as to why it took the Attorney General's office two months to figure out it does not have jurisdiction, we are glad that the Pima County Attorney can now move forward with an investigation," said Lila Rose. "We expect the Pima Attorney to work with renewed efforts to protect young girls from sexual abuse."

Texas State House Rejects Bill Attacking Abstinence Education, Pro-Lifers Fight
Austin, TX (LifeNews.com) -- After pro-life advocates fought to defeat it, the Texas state House defeated a bill attacking abstinence education. House amendments were brought forward to attach to a Senate bill that were a direct attack on abstinence-based teaching in Texas. Texas law currently requires that students be taught that “abstinence before marriage is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.” Under one of the proposed amendments, this language would have been stripped out of Texas law. These amendments were pushed by Planned Parenthood and were filed by Rep. Mike Villarreal and Rep. Joaquin Castro. The Villarreal amendment was rejected by a point of order and Rep. Castro withdrew his amendment. Jonathan Saenz, director of legislative affairs at Free Market Foundation, who testified against the amendments at the Texas Capitol, talked with LifeNews.com. “This is a victory for school children and for local control by parents. We are grateful that Texas students have been spared from Planned Parenthood-based sex education. It is irresponsible and harmful to ban children from knowing that abstinence before marriage is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy and STDs,” he said. Since Texas began promoting abstinence-based education, teen pregnancies are down 24%, teen abortions have dropped by 41%, and teen births are down 22%.

Wisconsin Right to Life Continues Highlighting Abortions at Madison Surgery Center
Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) -- Last week, Wisconsin Right to Life began running a series of ads in the Wisconsin State Journal that focuses on the late-term abortion plan at the Madison Surgery Center. The ads are meant to educate the public about the realities associated with late-term abortions which involve the dismemberment of fully formed babies. This week's ad is geared to those who work at the Madison Surgery Center and informs them about the emotional impact of late-term dismemberment abortions on those who participate in them. The ad also informs MSC employees of their legal right to refuse to participate in the performance of abortion. The ad can be viewed here. "Tens of thousands have already signed petitions protesting the late-term abortion plan," said Barbara Lyons, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. "Current and prospective patients have changed their appointments and even their health care away from the Madison Surgery Center. Now we are taking the message to the public."

India Doctor Kills Herself After Guilty Verdict in Sex-Selection Abortion Case
Punjab, India (LifeNews.com) -- A doctor committed suicide in an Indian court just minutes after it rejected her appeal for acquittal on charges of aborting an unborn child in a sex-selection abortion. Laxmi Garg swallowed poisonous tablets that she had hidden in her bag after the plea was dismissed. Although she was immediately rushed to a civil hospital nearby, doctors declared her dead on arrival. An inquiry in September 2006 had found the doctor, who was in her mid-40s, guilty of aborting a female unborn child. Garg was handed a two-and-a-half year sentence three months ago. On Monday, the court rejected her appeal for acquittal but reduced her sentence by a year. Many Indian families continue to view the birth of a girl as a burden, concerned over the lavish demands of a groom's family as dowry at weddings. Sex-Selection abortion is illegal in India and those found guilty could face a jail term of up to three years. The incidence of abortions and female infanticides has skewed the nation's gender ratio. The normal sex ratio at birth worldwide is about 105 male babies per 100 female babies, according to the Population Reference Bureau. In India, 950 female children are born per 1,000 male births is the standard. The population census, which is conducted every 10 years in India, showed just 927 girls were born per 1,000 boys in 2001, but the situation has reportedly improved since then.

Virginia Planned Parenthood Relocates Within Richmond, Donations Questionable
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- The Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, located in Richmond, Virginia, is moving to a new location. The new abortion facility will be located in an 11,000-square-foot building with eight exam rooms and two “procedure” rooms. This particular Planned Parenthood does surgical abortions as well as distributing the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug that has killed more than a dozen women worldwide and injured more than 1,300 in the United States alone. Planned Parenthood is moving from its old facility, which was located at 3415 Floyd Ave to 201 N. Hamilton St. Jim Sedlack of the watchdog group STOPP International says the relocation will cost a total of $3.5 million to purchase and renovate the building. "Planned Parenthood claims to have raised this money through donations, but in 2007, VLPP made a total revenue of $2,387,987," he said. "Not only does Planned Parenthood plan to kill more preborn persons at its new facility, it also hopes to offer vasectomies for men. How much more proof does one need to see how it is really trying to eliminate human persons from entering into the world? It is the largest abortion chain in America and it sterilizes men and women. We must continue to do all that we can to fight Planned Parenthood and save our fellow brothers and sisters from facing the death penalty because they do not have the same rights as others."

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