SAN ANTONIO – Planned Parenthood of South Texas announced it is starting a fund to help people without insurance receive general healthcare services.
Laura Terrill, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas, said The Fanny Fund will help women and men access essential care and help pay for the services they need. That does not include abortion-related services, for now.
The fund, which Terrill said costs about six figures, will underwrite vouchers for community partners and nonprofit organizations.
“These vouchers will allow clients to come to us for essential healthcare,” Terrill said.
Services will include:
- Reproductive health care: Reproductive health care: Birth control pills, condoms, birth control shot, hormonal IUDs, copper IUDs*, birth control implants*, emergency contraception, wellness exams, HIV testing, STD testing and treatment, syphilis treatment*, pregnancy tests, clinical breast exams, pelvic exams, cervical cancer screenings, HPV vaccines*, treatment for urinary tract infections, gender-affirming hormone therapy, menopause care, infertility evaluation, male sexual health exams. (*Richland Hills and Harlingen sites only.)
- Primary care: Testing and treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, anemia, asthma, depression and anxiety, eye and ear infections, sore throat, acid reflux, seasonal allergies, acne, weight management, smoking cessation.
For now, vouchers will be distributed through YWCA, Empower House and SA Youth. People can call 800-230-PLAN for more information.
Planned Parenthood South Texas announced the fund during a press conference on Monday, two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to have an abortion.
The ruling allows the procedure to be regulated state-by-state. Abortion is illegal in Texas, with few exceptions.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Corin Reyes, director of Health Equity at YWCA, spoke at the press conference alongside pro-life protesters.
Nirenberg said the 2022 SCOTUS decision “unleashed a national reproductive health crisis in this country.”
“It’s no secret that our state has long struggled to meet the need adequately, leaving our most vulnerable residents and neighbors without access to essential services that they deserve. This gap in critical care touches every part of our lives, from physical and mental health to economic stability and social well-being,” he said.
Texas has seen a 99.89% decline in abortions since the Dobbs ruling, the Texas Tribune reported.
In the SCOTUS ruling, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, was wrong and had to be overturned.
Reproductive Justice Fund slowly rolling out
The Fanny Fund is separate from the controversial Reproductive Justice Fund from the City of San Antonio.
The city fund would, in part, help cover the travel costs for women seeking legal, out-of-state abortions.
Last week, Metro Health announced it will open applications for the $500,000 Reproductive Justice Fund. It plans to award up to 10 contracts, worth at least $50,000 each.
However, according to a timeline staff shared, it could take until February 2025 before those contracts are ready for council approval, and until spring 2025 before they begin.
When asked if The Fanny Fund was a candidate for the Reproductive Justice Fund, Nirenberg responded “potentially.”
Planned Parenthood South Texas does not provide funding for out-of-state abortion care, Terrill said. They are partnering with organizations that are providing funding for travel, she said.
Planned Parenthood plans to spend $40 million on abortion rights ahead of the November election.