The widely respected Guttmacher Institute reports, “The abortion decline between 2008 and 2011 was driven by a steep drop in unintended pregnancy, which in turn is most plausibly explained by more and better contraceptive use.” Many other authoritative organizations have shown that the most effective strategy to reduce the number of abortions is wide availability of effective contraception and effective education on how to use contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Planned Parenthood has decades of solid experience in educating women (and men) about responsible use of contraception and providing critical health services often not available anywhere else.

Now Governor Scott and Republican lawmakers have prevented Planned Parenthood from receiving any funding through the state. This will do nothing but reduce the availability of dependable contraception and education about its effective use, which in turn will increase unintended pregnancies, directly leading to more abortions. People of means will always find the contraception they need and will always find the abortions they need. However, since Florida has a history of denying health care to low-income and poor families, it will be these families that will not have ready access to effective contraception and then will find themselves with an unwanted pregnancies.