US President Donald Trump's administration announced that it would award a $1.7 million family planning grant to a chain of crisis pregnancy centres that oppose abortion and dont offer contraceptives.
The administration's decision to fund Obria is a signal of its desire to shift family planning funds toward faith-based groups that oppose abortion and away from groups like Planned Parenthood, which is the largest single provider of reproductive health services, including abortion, in the US.
"Many women want the opportunity to visit a professional, comprehensive health care facility - not an abortion clinic - for their health care needs; this grant will give them that choice," Kathleen Eaton Bravo, founder and CEO of the Obria Group, said in a statement.
The group says it offers pregnancy testing and counselling, prenatal care, HIV/AIDS testing, ultrasound, cancer testing, well-woman care, pap smears, STD testing and treatment, adoption referral and post-abortion support.
Julie Rabinovitz, president and CEO of Essential Access Health, which will receive $21 million in 2019 to provide family planning services in California, said she is concerned about Obria entering the programme because it doesn't provide a comprehensive range of contraception options.
Also on Friday, the administration cut funds to some Planned Parenthood affiliates.
Planned Parenthood said the four affiliates that were "stripped of funding" served Hawaii, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia, attending to more than 40,000 patients.
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