TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Abortions are available again all across Arizona. Planned Parenthood announced Thursday it is resuming abortions as the issue works its way through the appeals courts.
Back and forth court opinions have made abortion an on and off issue for months. Now Planned Parenthood says it’s on again at clinics across Arizona.
A court ruling specific to Tucson had allowed Planned Parenthood to continue to offer abortion services here. Now Planned Parenthood is using a state appeals court ruling to resume abortions at clinics statewide by applying a new state law that allows abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion is often presented in religious terms but religious authorities split on the issue.
Steve Keplinger is the priest at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He says it’s hard to judge the circumstances that may drive someone to seek an abortion.
“Abortion is really difficult and it's a very difficult choice for for many, many people and it is really a terrible choice, but often, it is still the best choice even though it's a terrible one. And it's very important from our perspective that that be an individual choice for each person.”
Outside the Planned Parenthood Clinic, abortion opponents hope to persuade people not to get an abortion.
Jan Olafson of 40 Days For Life says she believes anything that grows is life.
“And we recognize that there are many men and women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and are struggling and frightened. And so we would like them to know that they're not alone, that we will support them, but that it's never right to kill. We don't kill toddlers, we don't kill old people. We don't kill newborn babies. We don't kill babies.”
And people facing an unplanned pregnancy may find abortion in Arizona could be on and off more times as the issue works its way through the courts.
Planned Parenthood says there is such a backlog for abortion appointments that some may go past Arizona’s 15 week limit and end up seeking abortions out of state.
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