Planned Parenthood Opens Remodeled Clinic In Sheboygan

Two years after closing a clinic in Appleton, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is opening another facility in the Fox Valley that will perform abortions.

The new facility in Sheboygan will provide abortions within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy using medication. This is one of three new services that will be provided. Planned Parenthood will also diagnose and care for pregnancy complications, and do endometrial biopsies which are usually performed to diagnose abnormal uterine bleeding.

Since 1973 Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has been offering other medical services including cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted diseases at another location in Sheboygan but its lease wasn’t renewed. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin officials say they’ve been working since last August with members of the community to operate the newly remodeled facility at 909 S. Taylor Drive. It will open Monday.

This will be the only clinic in Wisconsin offering abortions that is not located in Madison or Milwaukee. Planned Parenthood offers both medication and surgical abortion services at health centers in Milwaukee and Madison.

“We recognized there was a need. We’re getting women traveling for hours and hours and hours. We wanted to make sure we were able to extend access to services in northeast Wisconsin,” said Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin President and CEO Tanya Atkinson.

“After opening a glitzy $8 million abortion facility in Milwaukee last year, Planned Parenthood is expanding their abortion business again, this time in Sheboygan,” said Heather Weininger, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life, in a written statement.

The Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health supports resumption of full reproductive health services in the area.

“Ensuring that patients have access to comprehensive reproductive health care is especially important given the unprecedented political attacks on access to such care that have taken place in Wisconsin the past seven years, which have greatly reduced women’s access to these essential health care services,” said Sara Finger, executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health.

“The opening of this clinic is also timely given the recent increase in STI rates in Sheboygan County,” said Finger.

Since 2015, Sheboygan has seen a steady increase in STD rates. Planned Parenthood officials say this highlights the need for continued access to education and STD testing and treatment.