Teen incest survivor had to leave Florida for abortion, Planned Parenthood doctor says

According to Dr. Shelly Tien, who works at a Jacksonville Planned Parenthood center, a teenage patient recently came into their facility requesting an abortion after becoming pregnant as a result of an act of incest. The teen was found to be past 15 weeks pregnant.

Tien said that the girl was not permitted by law to receive an abortion in Florida as “she was past the limit of our state’s abortion ban.”

“That is heartbreaking as physicians, as healthcare providers,” Tien said in press conference this week. “To not be able to provide that service because of a restriction for a patient in such a terrible and violent situation, it is horrible.”

“The more we talked the more scared and frustrated she became.  Trying to find the words to calm her and support her when I knew I couldn’t help her, I have to tell you, that was extraordinarily difficult,” Tien went onto say.

Planned Parenthood confirmed that they assisted the girl in leaving Florida to have an abortion. They would not confirm which state she was sent to, her age or whether she was a Jacksonville local.

“We are seeing this restriction have profound and terrible effects for some families in the most desperate of situations. To not be able to provide that service because of the restriction for a patient in such a terrible and violent situation is horrible,” Tien added.

Alexandra Mandado, who is President of Planned Parenthood for South, East and North Florida, discussed the impacts of Florida’s abortion alws during a virtual briefing on October 12th.

Ms. Mandado said that abortion providers are dealing with an influx of patients “who did not know that they were past 15 weeks of pregnancy.”

Florida’s abortion law went into effect on July 1st. All abortions beyond 15 weeks are banned, with the exception of danger to the life of the mother.