I support Title X program

Editor,

While interning at Planned Parenthood, I’ve talked to so many people who have benefited from the organization’s services. A good friend of mine receives prenatal care at Planned Parenthood. A young man at Portland Pride told me how, because of Planned Parenthood, he was able to receive LGBTQ-focused health care. My friend at school received a wellness exam necessary to enlist in the Marines. Another girl told me how she relies on Planned Parenthood for STD testing. These are just some of the people that will be affected by the Title X gag rule.

As a participant in the Title X program, Planned Parenthood provides care on a sliding fee scale so that everyone can afford the care they need. But under the new gag rule, Title X healthcare providers like Planned Parenthood not allowed to offer abortion services, they are not allowed to refer patients to other providers for abortion care – they are not even allowed to talk about abortion as an option. This gag rule keeps medical providers from offering crucial services and information that patients need. Planned Parenthood doesn’t believe in withholding information from patients so they have withdrawn from the Title X program.

I believe that healthcare in all forms is a human right and reproductive health care is essential to our health. For years, Title X has allowed Planned Parenthood to provide the affordable care people need. The gag rule destroy the Title X program and is completely unnecessary. It’s time for Congress to act to protect Title X and protect access to care that millions of people depend on.

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