Planned Parenthood Continues to Dominate Abortion in Minnesota; Teen Abortions Jump 16%.

After a steady decline that with very few exceptions stretches back to 1987, latest figures from the Minnesota Department of Health show the greatest one-year increase in abortions performed on minors in Minnesota. While the number of abortions overall increased more than 5% (from 13,362 to 14,065), the jump for teenagers from 2005 to 2006 was a menacing 16%, according to the annual abortion report released in July.

The one good piece of news is that 652 women decided not to abort their babies after receiving information required under Minnesota's 2003 Woman's Right to Know law.

The spike in the number of abortions was no accident, according to Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). The increase occurred the same year Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota opened two suburban "express" mall stores targeting young women with scented oils, candles, and referrals to its St. Paul abortion center.

"The huge jump in minor abortions is deeply disturbing to parents, families, and teenagersbut it was a predictable result of Planned Parenthood's increased promotion of abortion," said Scott Fischbach, executive director of MCCL. "Planned Parenthood has learned how to take advantage of teenagers and young women by marketing its brand and building relationships to create future abortion customers."

Fischbach said that for Planned Parenthood, "abortion isn't just a morally acceptable 'choice' and a constitutional right to be patriotically exercisedit's a business practice." He added, "That's why it opposes even common sense, bipartisan legislationlike the woman's right to know law, which provides women with basic factual information prior to undergoing an abortion." ...