Page 7 - HOH

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 21 december 2022
Planned Parenthood starts telemedicine abortions in Kansas

By JOHN HANNA climate was uncertain at
Associated Press the time.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Trust Women also expects
Planned Parenthood af- to offer telemedicine abor-
filiate announced Tuesday tions but has said it is con-
that it has started telecon- sidering what additional
ferences with off-site doc- staff and infrastructure it will
tors for patients seeking need.
medication abortions at Eighteen states have bans
one of its Kansas clinics, a on telemedicine abortions
small step toward poten- in place, according to na-
tially much broader access tional groups on both sides
in a state that has become of the debate.
a destination for the proce- They include Arizona, Indi-
dure after an August vote ana, Nebraska and North
affirming abortion rights. Carolina.
Planned Parenthood Great Abortion opponents have
Plains said it began offering long argued that telemedi-
telemedicine consultations cine bans protect women’s
Monday to patients visiting health by ensuring a physi-
its Wichita clinic. President cian is present to deal with
and CEO Emily Wales said major problems, though
the immediate goal is to research has shown that
have more days that pa- Dr. Elizabeth Brett Daily enters an exam room consult with a patient about the medical abortion abortion pills are safe.
tients can go there to get process at a Planned Parenthood clinic on Oct. 12, 2022, in Kansas City, Kan. The long-term goal, Wales
medication abortions. She Associated Press said, is to work with a net-
said her affiliate hopes to more strenuous restrictions residents seeking abortion Wales said in an interview work of doctors or clinics

offer the service to patients on abortion than Kansas medications can telecon- ahead of the announce- across the state so that
visiting its other two clinics particularly Oklahoma and ference with doctors, in- ment. The blocked Kansas women don’t have to trav-
on the Kansas side of the Texas. Kansas voters in Au- cluding Colorado, Illinois, law required a doctor to el to Wichita or the Kansas
Kansas City area “in short gust decisively voted to Iowa, Michigan and Wyo- be in the same room with a City area to obtain abor-
order” and eventually to al- retain state constitutional ming. However, for some patient taking what is typi- tion medications.
low patients in doctors’ of- protections for abortion states, the website lists only cally the first of two doses of Patients in states with more
fices and clinics across the rights. The announcement online pill providers, such as medication to end a preg- restrictive abortion laws still
state to teleconference came less than a month Aid Access or carafem. nancy. Another provider, a would have to travel to
with its physicians. after a state-court judge “My vision for telehealth Wichita clinic operated by Kansas, as they do now.
The move comes as Kan- blocked enforcement of medication abortion is the the abortion rights group Doctors doing the telecon-
sas abortion providers say Kansas’ ban on telemedi- same as my vision for abor- Trust Women, offered tele- sulting also would have to
they are seeing a flood of cine abortions. The abor- tion generally, which is that medicine abortions for a be licensed to practice
requests for appointments tionfinder.org website lists it would be widely acces- few months late in 2018 but medicine in Kansas, as they
from women in states with 26 other states in which sible by many providers,” stopped because the legal must be now. q

Spurred by regulators, 3M to phase out “forever chemicals”

By MATT OTT to get them out of all their Tuesday arrives after U.S. facturers but are still in lim- PFAS manufacturing and
AP Business Writer products within two years, environmental regulators ited use and remain in the “work to discontinue use of

WASHINGTON (AP) — 3M the chemical and con- designated the chemicals environment because they PFAS” in all its products by
will phase out the manu- sumer products maker said used in nonstick frying pans, do not degrade over time. the end of 2025.
facturing of so-called “for- Tuesday. water-repellent sports gear, 3M said its decision was 3M makes a broad range of
ever chemicals” and try The decision announced stain-resistant rugs, cosmet- based on multiple factors, consumer products, includ-
ics and countless other including “accelerating ing Post-it notes, Scotch
consumer products since regulatory trends focused Brite cleaning supplies, ad-
the 1940s - as hazardous on reducing or eliminat- hesives and personal pro-
substances under the Su- ing the presence” of the tective equipment.
perfund law. chemicals in the environ- Chemical and other indus-
While the designation is not ment. trial companies have been
an outright ban, polyfluo- The chemicals can accu- sued frequently in recent
roalkyl substances, better mulate and persist in the years for downplaying the
known as PFAS, require a human body for long peri- dangers of the chemicals.
report to federal, state or ods of time, and evidence In a November lawsuit, the
tribal officials if the amount from animal and human state of California accused
released into soil or water studies indicates that ex- 3M, Dupont and 16 smaller
meet or exceed a certain posure to PFAS may lead companies of covering up
level. The Environmental to cancer or other health the harm caused to the en-
Protection Agency could problems, including dam- vironment and the public
then require cleanups to age to organs including from chemicals manufac-
The logo for chemical and consumer products maker 3M protect public health and the liver, kidneys and thy- tured by the firms that have
appears on a screen above the trading floor of the New York recover cleanup costs. roid gland. over decades found their
Stock Exchange on Oct. 24, 2017. PFAS have been voluntarily 3M, based in Saint Paul, way into waterways and
Associated Press phased out by U.S. manu- Minnesota, said it will exit all human bloodstreams.q