Closure of Juneau’s Planned Parenthood Health Center Eliminates Key Healthcare Access

Closure of Juneau’s Planned Parenthood Health Center

Juneau, AK – The Planned Parenthood Health Center in Juneau has permanently closed its doors as of November 2024, leaving residents with limited access to essential reproductive healthcare services. This closure affects a range of vital services, including wellness screenings, contraception, STD testing and treatment, prenatal and postpartum care, and abortion services.

Initially closed for building repairs, Planned Parenthood made the announcement in an email to patients, stating, ‘This decision was not made lightly and reflects a careful evaluation of patient needs, access to care in Alaska, and the challenges facing sexual and reproductive health care today.’

Jennifer Martinez, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, and Kentucky, shared that the cost of repairs and a challenging funding environment were major factors in the decision to close the facility. She stated, ‘We are trying to consolidate resources as we’re able to, just to enable our affiliate to continue to move forward with our mission and ensuring that we’re providing the care that our patients need in all six states.’

This closure is part of a broader pattern, as Martinez noted the closure of another health center in Twin Falls, Idaho, highlighting persistent funding challenges across their network.

Although patients in Juneau may still access some services through telehealth and self-administered birth control, many local healthcare providers continue to offer some reproductive care and gender-affirming services. However, the closure of the Planned Parenthood facility means no access to abortion care in Southeast Alaska. Patients seeking this vital service must now travel to the remaining Planned Parenthood centers in Fairbanks and Anchorage, or to facilities in Washington state.

While the loss of the Juneau Planned Parenthood cuts off crucial reproductive health services, local providers like JAMHI Health and Wellness remain committed to offering care on a sliding scale and accepting Medicaid. Nevertheless, the community faces significant barriers regarding comprehensive reproductive healthcare access.