Planned Parenthood strikes conversation on Georgia State campus

Photo by Vanessa Johnson | The Signal

The Planned Parenthood on 75 Piedmont closes and takes their services to East Atlanta for a more convenient location for their customers, while also taking services from Georgia State students. The move is to have a better location for its customers, according to Barbara Ann Luttrell.

“When our lease was up, we decided to move to East Atlanta. We loved being in our location, but we feel as if East Atlanta would be a better location for our patients. We worked with Emory College in order to find our location,” Luttrell said.

Planned Parenthood was located in the Citizen’s Trust Bank building with services for Georgia State’s housing department in the same building. Although East Atlanta is an easier location for patients, it is a farther distance for Georgia State students to get resources needed.

“With the lease being up, it was easy for us to pick East Atlanta as our new home. We have a lot of patients in that area, and it is easier for our patients to get there with transportation. It is a common area and easy to get to,” Luttrell said.

The Planned Parenthood often catered to Georgia State students, since it was in the heart of its campus. Students frequently came in for information about safe sex and the steps to take in order to prevent reproduction.

“While being at Georgia State, we did deal with a lot of students from the school. It was a good area to be in, and the students were really good people to work with and talk to,” Luttrell said.

Georgia State student Imoni Minger felt Planned Parenthood was a great addition to campus and provided resources like health care for students.

“Nonprofit, reproductive health-care organizations such as Planned Parenthood give students access to healthcare they probably wouldn’t get anywhere else. Since Parent Planhood is not only for women, it would give men necessary health treatments as well,” Minger said.

Georgia State student Gabreil Lumpkin said Planned Parenthood would give girls the knowledge needed about safe sex and would lower pregnancy rates.

“It would be very efficient and effective, [and] it would help young ladies get to know about their options and choices about safe sex. It would lower pregnancy rates only because sexually active female college students would have a safe haven to get information about safe sex,” Lumpkin said.

Lumpkin believes Planned Parenthood is more than what people stereotypically think of them. They encourage safe sex and give both women and men advice and resources.

“People think of Planned Parenthood and think of abortion. That is not at all what they are [only] about. They offer young girls and guys the information they need in order to have safe sex and all of the things that they should be aware before having sex,” Lumpkin said.