Supreme Court Ruling Reaction in Oregon, July 2

Planned Parenthood organizations in Oregon condemned the ruling by the Supreme Court that some for-profit private corporations, such as the arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby, can deny coverage of birth control to their employees, for no reason other than the personal religious beliefs of the corporation’s owners.  Cynthia Pappas, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, said: “This ruling does not strike down the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit. Today, about 360,000 Oregon women are eligible for birth control with no co-pay thanks to this benefit, and the vast majority of them will not be affected by this ruling. But for those who are affected, this ruling will have real consequences.” Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon has been dedicated to providing expert reproductive health care and sexuality education in Southwestern Oregon for more than 47 years. PPSO sees 24,000 patients each year at seven health centers. PPSO is also the region’s most respected provider of medically accurate sexuality education for young people and adults, as well as training programs for professionals who work with youth and families. Education and training programs make more than 25,000 contacts each year, transforming the lives of young people in Southwestern Oregon. PPSO’s essential health services include breast and cervical cancer screenings, well-woman annual exams, birth control, STD prevention, testing and treatment, pregnancy testing and HPV vaccinations. Less than 2 percent of PPSO’s patient visits are for early abortion care.