This week Planned Parenthood Great Plains — the Planned Parenthood affiliate that operates abortion clinics in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma — announced it is ramping up its “telehealth” tools for patients in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization issued a press release, saying,
Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) is proud to announce the launch of a new telehealth program in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas, which allows patients to access high-quality, affordable health care services by phone and/or through a private and secure video conferencing platform that connects them with trusted providers.
It’s worth noting this isn’t exactly new. Planned Parenthood has been promoting “telehealth” like this for many years, but the coronavirus outbreak is a good opportunity for them to highlight technology like this.
In some states, abortionists are even able to prescribe abortion-inducing drugs via telephone or video conference.
It’s important to point out, however, that Arkansas law requires the abortionist to be physically present when administering abortion drugs.
This effectively prevents abortionists at Planned Parenthood and elsewhere from prescribing RU-486 over the phone or via video conference.
However, Planned Parenthood still appears to be relying heavily on technology to spread its pro-abortion message in Arkansas and elsewhere.
For example, last year Planned Parenthood launched its new “Roo” chatbot aimed at teens and young adults.
Teens can ask Roo questions about things like sex and contraceptive, but they can also use Roo to find out about abortion.
Planned Parenthood also has unveiled search tools and apps to help people find abortion facilities.
All of this underscores what we have said for years: Pro-lifers need to continue working to make abortion not only illegal, but unthinkable as well.
