LAKELAND GAZETTE: Planned Parenthood in Lakeland is gone; the pro-life safety net remains
By: Ava Winkler | March 26, 2026
Almost fifty Planned Parenthoods have shuttered their doors across the country. Pro-abortion advocates decry this in outrage, claiming women’s freedoms are being restricted and healthcare access is being denied. As the pro-abortion industry laments, the pro-life movement celebrates the lives that will be saved, and we continue to do what we do best – offering real support to women in need. We know why women resort to abortion. She is often a single mother in her 20s, already taking care of older children and living below the poverty line. When Planned Parenthood closes, other pressures are pushing her towards abortion that do not disappear with them. An abortion-vulnerable mom is still financially insecure, lacking adequate housing or transportation, struggling to find work and childcare, or running from complex trauma and abuse.
Planned Parenthood in Lakeland, Florida, announced it would close its doors for good on March 13, 2026. After a continued presence of over fifty years, Polk County will no longer have a single brick-and-mortar Planned Parenthood location.
Without Planned Parenthood and big abortion standing in the way, real care and real support will be more readily available than ever to vulnerable moms and their babies. Real care is offered by organizations like Options for Women, a pregnancy center that has three locations and a mobile clinic where women receive pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STD testing, and women’s wellness exam referrals at no cost. If the STD test is positive, clients are referred to the Florida Health Department, where they can receive free treatment for the infection.
