Planned Parenthood does do both. It is the largest single abortion provider in the country, and it provides many other health care services like contraception and testing for sexually transmitted infections. It also has become one of the biggest sources of volunteer power for Democratic campaigns.

Many abortion rights activists and abortion providers told us they were concerned that Planned Parenthood was prioritizing politics over health care. The division was especially clear with the independent abortion clinics, which provide the majority of abortion procedures in the country but have little political or lobbying power.

— Elizabeth Dias

What the left needs

The states that have introduced restrictions on abortion are largely traditionally Republican states. The religious right has sponsored the election of extremist candidates in primaries. It is difficult to see what policy Planned Parenthood could have followed that would have stopped this, either locally or nationally. Perhaps you have an answer?

— Bob Philipson, Manhattan

The short answer: Mobilize to win local elections.

Most Democrats will acknowledge that they were outplayed by conservatives for more than a decade when it came to making gains in state legislatures. Starting with the 2010 census, Republicans worked to pick up local seats. It worked. Democrats lost over 1,000 seats during the Obama administration; those losses are now coming to fruition for social conservatives.

That’s left abortion rights advocates in the unenviable position of now having to fight a multifront war of federal policy, local policy, the courts and campaigns.

— Lisa Lerer

What is needed for pro-choice groups to align and be more organized in this effort to maintain women’s reproductive freedom?

— Lisa Galinski, Simsbury, Conn.

I think the movement, like many liberal causes during the Trump era, is at a moment of soul searching. Like most of the country, reproductive rights advocates didn’t see Donald Trump winning the election and weren’t prepared for a Republican Party led by him.