The Trump administration is trying to amend our family planning policies in ways that hurt women and children, including imposition of a domestic “gag rule.” They are proposing changes to Title X – the only federal program dedicated to increasing access to contraceptive care for low-income women. It would take away funding to providers who simply mention abortion as an option.

The Title X changes are an obvious effort to defund Planned Parenthood, who is the only healthcare service for many. The proposed rules are intended to mislead women about their health care options and would encourage the use of ineffective birth control methods. Women deserve facts. The proposed Title X changes will affect people for their entire lives.

TAKE ACTION – Comments are due 07/31/2018 at 11:59 PM EDT.

• The proposed rules can be found here: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-06-01/pdf/2018-11673.pdf.
• The administration’s summary of the proposed changes are here: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2018/05/22/hhs-announces-proposed-update-to-title-x-family-planning-grant-program.html
• A helpful Health Affairs blog post on the proposed changes: https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20180614.838675/full/
• Comments can be submitted here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/01/2018-11673/compliance-with-statutory-program-integrity-requirements#open-comment

Draft key points are below – feel free to copy, modify and/or otherwise use: 

• This radical proposal has never been implemented in the United States and it would jeopardize the trusting relationship between women and their providers and put the health of the 4 million women nationwide who use Title X clinics at risk.
• The proposed rule could increase the rate of unintended pregnancy by eliminating the requirement that Title X clinics provide access to the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods,
• Methods encouraged in this rule such as “natural family planning” and “fertility awareness-based” methods are significantly less effective with typical use than long-acting methods, leading to a higher number of unintended pregnancies.
• Reducing unintended pregnancy helps families get off to the best possible start. It empowers women to attain their education goals, helping create financially secure and strong families, lowers the abortion rate and reduces the number of people who need to use Medicaid and other public assistance programs.