The number of abortions by Planned Parenthood increased by 11,373 over the course of a year, according to the organization’s 2017-2018 annual report released this weekend.
The report shows that Planned Parenthood conducted 332,757 abortions for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018, an increase from 321,384 during the previous fiscal year.
Abortions make up 3.4 percent of the services Planned Parenthood performs, an increase from 3 percent the previous year. More than half of its clinics, or 357 out of roughly 600, provide medication abortions, which women can use up to roughly 10 weeks into a pregnancy. The annual report does not indicate the amount of revenue collected from providing abortions. Some health insurance companies cover abortions, other women receive financial help, and others pay out of pocket.
Testing for sexually transmitted diseases comprises the largest share of Planned Parenthood services, at 48.7 percent, and next is contraception at 27.1 percent. An additional 6.3 percent of medical services performed are cancer screenings and prevention, a drop from 7 percent during the previous fiscal year. In all, Planned Parenthood saw 2.4 million patients across the U.S.
Planned Parenthood has been under attack by Republicans and by the Trump administration, who argue the organization should not receive federal funds because it provides abortions. By law, federal funding is not allowed to go toward abortions, with limited exemptions, but critics say that funding the other services frees up dollars for abortions.
The report indicates that government funds, some of which come from grants known as Title X, account for $563.8 million in revenue, an increase of roughly $20 million from the previous fiscal year. Private contributions grew to $630.8 million, compared with $532.7 million the previous fiscal year. The organization had 1.5 million individual contributors outside of foundation grants and corporate contributions.
[Opinion: Planned Parenthood finally admits abortion is its ‘core mission’]
