Planned Parenthood to offer services in 50 Los Angeles County high schools

The program, which will be funded by a $10 million from Los Angeles County and $6 million from the abortion giant, will offer a wide range of services including birth control, pregnancy testing, and sexual disease screenings to approximately 75,000 area teens — but not abortions. In addition, the report notes, hundreds of students will be trained to be “peer advocates” by the program, and students will be allowed to leave class to visit the “Wellbeing Centers.”

A Wednesday news release from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says that the centers are meant to “create a safe space on school campuses where students can receive health affirming services and support they need to lead healthy lives.” The release also notes that Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles will be providing the services one day per week at a handful of schools at first “with the intent to expand to all 50 schools on a rolling basis over two years.”

“We are excited about this new partnership with schools, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Planned Parenthood to address the social, emotional and sexual health needs of adolescents while keeping them safe and in school,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “Ultimately, we all want to ensure that students are given every opportunity to grow into their fullest potential, feeling loved without prejudice, as they walk confidently into their brightest futures.”

“Too many young people don’t have access to the health care or information they need to live their healthiest lives — and these Wellbeing Centers are helping to change that,” acting Planned Parenthood president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said of the effort.