Reproductive Writes: The Defunding of Title X

The House of Representatives had a rough week, but you might not have heard anything about it. Over the weekend, the House passed an amendment, sponsored by Representative Mike Pence (R-IN), to the upcoming federal spending bill that would deny federal funding through the Title X program (read as Title Ten) to organizations that provide abortions. But that doesn’t even matter considering the amendment goes even further and completely defunds the entire Title X program.
 

Title X, which was introduced in 1970 by President Nixon, is the only federal program that focuses on providing funding support for family planning services, and is specifically geared toward funding reproductive health care services for low-income women and families. These services run the gamut of reproductive health services, including contraceptive services, breast and pelvic exams, breast and cervical cancer screening, STI testing and treatment, and patient education and counseling.
 
The most unique and beneficial aspect of Title X is that payment is based solely on the recipient’s income. If the woman’s income is at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, all Title X-funded services are free of charge. For women whose income is between 100 and 250 percent of the federal poverty level, fees are based on a sliding scale. And for minors, fees are based on their own income, not their parents.
 
Have you ever heard of or benefitted from Planned Parenthood’s sliding scale policy, where the prices for services are adjusted based on your income? Thank Title X.
 
So, this amendment is doubly troublesome. Ignoring the fact that Title X would be completely removed, the passage of this amendment means that organizations like Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions among many other valuable services, would not be eligible to receive federal funding for contraception, cervical cancer screenings, STI testings, and other lifesaving services – funding that never, ever goes to abortion.
 
In fact, these services help reduce the need for abortion by providing services that reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. But then, Title X funding is cut altogether, as the amendment is doing, women are left without any family planning assistance.
 
Here’s what happens:

• Women are left without access to affordable birth control, which leads to more unplanned pregnancies.
• Women are left without affordable breast and cervical cancer screenings and annual exams, which can and do save lives, so they are unaware if problems develop.
• Women are left uneducated about their health and their bodies, leading to a whole range of issues.
• Women are left without a health care provider entirely when six out of ten women who use Planned Parenthood’s services say the organization is their main source of health care.

This amendment was passed under the guise of saving money. But here’s the truth: money that isn’t invested into Title X and family planning is just going to be forced to go into other forms of funding like Medicaid, which is also taxpayer-supported. Women aren’t going to stop needing annual exams and reproductive health services just because this funding gets taken away. These women, who found it hard to afford family planning in the first place, and relied on Title X funding, will just have to look elsewhere. Here’s the kicker: every $1 invested in family planning saves $3.74 in related Medicaid costs.
 
So what can we do? The amendment now moves to the Senate to be voted on. You can sign this letter to the representatives in the House that voted against this bill, and to the senators who now have a chance to stop it dead in its tracks. You can call your Senator at (202) 224-3121 and tell them that you won’t stand for this outright dismissal of women’s rights and needs.
 
If you’re feeling especially hands-on, you can rally. On Saturday, February 26, there will be a national, multi-city event protesting these attacks on women’s health. Check out http://walkforchoice.tumblr.com/ and look for a location near you. But regardless, stand strong in these tough times. Don’t let anyone tell you that your health care is unnecessary.
 
Source: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/Pence_Fact_021111_vF.pdf