Planned Parenthood has closed its last clinics in Louisiana, leaving patients to turn to other providers for reproductive care. After serving New Orleans, Baton Rouge and other major cities for more than 40 years, the organization has shut the doors on two remaining facilities, according to its website.
Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast President and CEO Melaney Linton told several news outlets that the decision was not voluntary, saying the clinics were forced to close due to mounting political pressure from state lawmakers and top officials.
In a statement to the community, the organization said its legacy continues and “the fight for freedom continues.”
“Our patients, supporters, volunteers, and dedicated staff have kept this work alive. That legacy endures in the strength of our communities, the lives changed and saved, and the futures people continue to build for themselves and their families,” the statement said.
State officials celebrate closures
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, R, praised the closures, calling them “a major win for the pro-life movement here in Louisiana.” In a social media post, Landry wrote, “I have fought hard as Attorney General and now as Governor to rid our state of this failed organization. Abortion should never be considered healthcare.”
Attorney General Liz Murrill also weighed in on the closures. In a post on X, she described Planned Parenthood as a business built “around promoting death” and said the state “stands for life” and will continue to “protect women and babies.”
Services provided and community impact
Planned Parenthood first opened in Louisiana in 1984, offering services such as STI testing, cancer screenings, contraception and other reproductive health care. The organization said abortions were never provided at its clinics in the state, since they were not licensed to perform the procedure.
The New Orleans Health Department said the clinic’s closure will leave thousands of residents without a trusted source for essential health care. In the past year alone, more than 16,000 patients visited the clinic, mostly for STI testing and treatment.
The facility also connected high-risk individuals to HIV prevention and care, provided nearly 9,000 family planning appointments, including exams and birth control counseling and played a role in cancer screening and wellness care.
“As these clinics close, it is essential that we highlight existing resources available throughout the city, provide residents with guidance, and remain committed to protecting access to essential sexual and reproductive health care,” said Ryann Martinek, sexual and reproductive health specialist with the New Orleans Health Department.
Funding and legal challenges
The closures in New Orleans are part of a broader trend affecting Planned Parenthood nationwide. Last week, affiliates in Wisconsin and Arizona announced cuts to abortion and Medicaid-related services.
Earlier this year, multiple clinics in California, Iowa and Minnesota also shut down. With the Louisiana closure, Planned Parenthood no longer has a presence in four states, including Wyoming, Mississippi and North Dakota.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” known as the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act, included a provision that prohibited Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers that perform abortions and receive over $800,000 annually in Medicaid funding. This provision effectively defunded Planned Parenthood, as many of its clinics met these criteria.
This restriction led to a legal battle in which Planned Parenthood challenged the rule, arguing it limited access to care for patients and placed clinics at risk of closure.
In a recent court ruling, Planned Parenthood faced a setback that it says contributed to its financial strain. On Sept. 11, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld restrictions that blocked more than 1.1 million patients from using Medicaid insurance at Planned Parenthood health centers.
The ruling aligned with a policy backed by the Trump administration, leaving dozens of clinics nationwide at risk of shutting down. Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Alexis McGill Johnson said the decision created uncertainty for both patients and providers, limiting access to reproductive care and placing health centers in jeopardy.
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