The Associated Press is reporting today that the nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates — creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women. The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams.

Here is the response from Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, which is headquartered in Des Moines:

January 31, 2012 (DES MOINES, IA) – Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is deeply disappointed in learning of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s decision to stop funding breast cancer prevention, screenings and education at Planned Parenthood health centers. Anti-women’s health groups have repeatedly targeted and boycotted the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation for partnering with Planned Parenthood to provide these lifesaving cancer screenings, and news articles suggest that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation ultimately succumbed to these pressures.

“As a leading reproductive health care provider in our community, more than 23,000 women relied on Planned Parenthood of the Heartland for breast exams last year,” said Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President and CEO Jill June. “These women are deeply alarmed that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure from a vocal minority.”

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland was in the process of applying for grants for breast health care when notified of the Komen Foundation’s decision. Planned Parenthood is deeply concerned about the troubling precedent of putting politics before women’s health.

“In these tough economic times, more women than ever need access to essential health care services like lifesaving breast cancer screenings. Politics should never get in the way of a woman’s ability to access health care,” said June.

One in five women in America has come to Planned Parenthood at some point in her life. More than 98 percent of health care services offered at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland are preventive in nature, including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, testing and treatment of STIs, breast health services, Pap tests, and sexual health education and information.