Nashville, Tenn., Dec 12, 2018 / 16:38 pm
As Tennessee has seen an increase in pro-life legislation in recent years, the only abortion clinic in Nashville temporarily ceased its abortion services last week.
According to the Associated Press, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, Tereva Parham, confirmed Dec. 10 that abortion provision had been suspended the week prior.
The time-frame of the suspension has not been provided.
Parham said the clinic is "undergoing a period of quality improvement" and added that part of the reason for the suspension is a lack of abortion providers.
The Planned Parenthood clinic is still offering other services, but has been referring patients who request abortion to clinics in Knoxville and Memphis, both of which are about 200 miles away.
Nashville previously had two abortion providers, but The Women's Center closed in August when its building was sold. The organization said it would be looking for a new location, but it has not yet reopened.
Tennessee has enacted a number of abortion regulations in recent years.
In 2014, voters approved an amendment which categorically excludes abortion rights from the state's constitution.
"Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives or state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother," the amendment reads.
Legislators passed a 48-hour waiting period and in-person informed consent counseling for women seeking to procure abortion in 2015, which are currently being challenged in federal court.
In 2017, the state banned abortion of viable unborn children after 20 weeks.
The state also requires hospital admitting privileges for abortion doctors, and parental consent for teen abortions.
And in May, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam signed a law calling for the erection of a privately funded monument to unborn children on the grounds of the state capitol.
Haslam also signed a law seeking federal approval to prohibit the state's Medicaid program from payments for non-abortion services to any provider of more than 50 abortions in a year.
About 9,700 abortions were procured in Tennessee in 2016.
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