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Planned Parenthood president forced out as organisation faces US government funding cuts

BMJ 2019; 366 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4771 (Published 19 July 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;366:l4771
  1. Janice Hopkins Tanne
  1. New York, USA

The president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood, Leana Wen, left her job on Tuesday over “philosophical differences” about the organisation’s direction. Wen, the former health commissioner of Baltimore, Maryland, had been in the job for only eight months.

Her departure comes as the organisation—which provides family planning advice and services to women on low incomes, and is a favourite target of President Donald Trump and anti-abortion groups—faces cuts of nearly $60m (£48m; €54m) in government funding.

Although abortion remains legal in the US, state restrictions mean that it is increasingly difficult for women to access.1 Contraception has also been …

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