Planned Parenthood in Tyler closes

TYLER – Planned Parenthood in Tyler is now closed as all in-clinic services ended at the center on July 17.

All Tyler area patients will still have access to services by making a tele-med appointment. Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas talked about transitioning Tyler area services to telehealth options after serving nearly 75,000 patients last year.

“For 90 years, Texans have relied on Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas for essential sexual and reproductive healthcare and education,” Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas said. “This year, we made the strategic decision to transition healthcare services in the Tyler area to tele-health via the Greater Texas Virtual Health Center and close our health center on Turtle Creek Drive for in-person appointments.”

Our news partner KETK spoke with State Rep. Brent Money (R-Greenville), who said Planned Parenthood centers are closing down due to the strong laws against abortion in Texas. Now he is looking to stop Texas women from obtaining abortions either by driving out of state or obtaining abortion pills through the mail.

“About half of them are people who leave Texas and go get a surgical abortion in another state. About half of them are through abortion pills, pills that are ordered online or through a telemedicine doctor and shipped directly to the mother’s home. She takes those pills, and has an abortion in her own home,” Money said. “We just haven’t addressed the underlying fundamental problem, which is we need to recognize that we need our laws to reflect what I think that most Texans already believe, which is that abortion is murder and we shouldn’t have abortion in Texas.”

Former Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler Joseph Strickland released a statement after the center shut down.

“Let us pray that these centers that promote death will continue to close across the country. Pray for all the pro-life pregnancy centers that will be assisting mothers seeking help,” Francis said.

Mark Lee Dickson, Director of the Right to Life Across Texas, calls the closure a good riddance.

“Never again will this horrible place refer pregnant mothers to Planned Parenthood Pittsburg Health Center in Pittsburg, Kansas or Planned Parenthood Wichita Health Center in Wichita, Kansas or any other abortion facility in America. Praise God. There is still much work to be done in the great state of Texas,” Dickson said. “Pray also for the Texas Legislature and cities and counties across our states as they consider legislation further protecting pregnant mothers and their unborn children from the tragedy of abortion.”

In the statement to KETK News, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas said they served Texas women by providing 133,000 appointments for birth control, including IUDs and implants, breast and cervical cancer screenings, annual wellness exams, STI testing and treatment, menopause services, pregnancy testing, treatment for UTIs, HIV tests, and HPV vaccines.

Those looking for in-person visits at a Planned Parenthood location will now have to travel to Dallas or Paris, Texas, the closest locations to Tyler.