Planned Parenthood Launches Vasectomy Services in Mishawaka
For Immediate Release: Sept. 26, 2023 (Updated: Sept. 26, 2023, 5:21 p.m.)
People are postponing pregnancy out of pregnancy-related medical concerns; for some, a vasectomy can be the solution
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — This week, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky (PPGNHAIK) will launch vasectomy services at the Mishawaka Health Center in Indiana, with appointments available as early as October. The new location is part of Planned Parenthood’s plans to expand vasectomy services throughout the state by the end of the year. The Hammond health center kicked off the initial service launch this February, with two additional locations following Mishawaka.
Polling conducted in August of this year found that 34 percent of women aged 18-39 say they or someone they know personally has “decided not to get pregnant due to concerns about managing pregnancy-related medical emergencies.” The polling also revealed that poor or unavailable maternal health care options are leading people to alter some of their most important life choices. This comes as local media report that despite the narrow legal exemptions that allow for abortion services, hospitals in Indiana are refusing to provide abortion, even in those emergency legally-permitted cases.
“Abortion bans make pregnancy less safe, and now that abortion is banned in Indiana, Hoosiers are considering the very real consequences of restricted access to care in their own lives and searching for solutions to prevent pregnancy,” said Rebecca Gibron, CEO of PPGNHAIK. “As we fight in Court to restore access to abortion, we want to make sure patients have all options on the table when it comes to pregnancy prevention. While some people may feel forced to postpone their potential families out of fear, others are looking for a birth control method with a high success rate, or something non-hormonal. Birth control simply isn’t a one-size-fits all product. Vasectomies allow sperm-producing patients to relieve some of the pressure of pregnancy scares by giving back control to their partners who can become pregnant. It’s an act of protection. It’s an act of love. It’s an act of resistance against extremist attempts to force pregnancy.”
Indiana ranks third in the nation for maternal mortality, where pregnancy is killing Black women at 2.5 times the national average. According to the new findings featured in Politico, for many young people the maternal health care crisis is deeply personal, with more than a third of young people claiming to have personally dealt with or know someone who has “faced constraints when trying to manage a pregnancy-related emergency.” And 23 percent of 18- to 39-year-old women say they have themselves or know someone else who has been unable to obtain an abortion in their state — a number almost three times higher than respondents in other age groups.
Patients looking to make an appointment for a vasectomy consultation call 1-800-769-0045 or visit our website.