CLOSED: Planned Parenthood in Georgia shuts down after 35 years in business

The Planned Parenthood Southeast abortion facility in Augusta, Georgia, has announced that it is closing down after 35 years in operation.

Planned Parenthood officials claim the move is a purely financial decision necessary to “redirec[t] resources to other communities within the established service area.” However, the location has also been the site of recurring controversy. In 2010, it announced it was reducing its hours following the establishment of a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil outside.The next year, it was forced to pay a $1,400 fine for 23 health safety violations pertaining to expired medications and unsterilized medical equipment.

The pro-life group Augusta Care Pregnancy Center celebrated the news as an answer to 35 years of prayer, announcing, “Thousands of pregnant mothers have been wounded, some physically and some mentally. God has answered many prayers of the Augusta people.”

As Live Action News has reported, the news comes in the midst of a recent Bloomberg report indicating that 45 abortion facilities have shut down since 2011, and more than 50 stopped doing abortions for a variety of reasons.

The closure rate has been dubbed the “fastest annual pace” on record. The substantial number of pro-life laws over the past several years (nearly 50 in 2015) are believed to have played a role, although significant closures have also been observed in heavily pro-abortion states such as California.