The gag rule is repealed, but its effects still hurt Missourians

You may know birth control in all its forms: condoms, pill, patch, injection or maybe even an intrauterine device (IUD). For decades, contraception has been a trusted companion for individuals and couples in planning whether, when, and how to start or expand a family.

Mallory schwarz

But birth control can be expensive, with the most effective methods, like IUDs or implants, costing over $ 1,000. For 50 years, the Title X Family planning program provided federal funding to health centers that provide affordable family planning services, including wellness exams, cervical and breast cancer screenings, and birth control. In 2015, nearly 50,000 Missourians were able to access contraception thanks to this program. However, on March 4, 2019, then-President Donald Trump and his administration undermined the ability of Title X health centers to provide quality care by enforcing a “gag rule.”

Many Title X centers provide comprehensive reproductive health care, including STI testing and treatment, access to contraception, and legal abortion. The gag rule, however, requires health facilities to withhold information about patients seeking abortion services if they wish to continue receiving Title X funds – even if the funding only supports the provision of screening. births. Due to the gag rule, the capacity of the Title X program has been cut by almost half, threatening the care of 1.6 million patients across the country. Additionally, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region & Southwest Missouri was forced to withdraw from Title X, leaving more than 5,000 Missourians to seek services elsewhere or forgo care altogether.

The loss of Title X funds means clinics face increased costs, shorter clinic hours, staff layoffs and fewer services available at affected centers. For women and birth attendants – including transgender, non-binary and non-conforming people – who live paycheck to paycheck, losing affordable access to the birth control they need because the health facility they need dependents lost their Title X funding compromises their reproductive health and well-being.

Through Medicaid expanding, Missouri is stepping forward to help low-income people access contraception. But one initiative fills a critical gap and is having a significant impact right now: The Right Time initiative of the Missouri Family Health Council.

The Right Time’s mission is to provide low-cost or no-cost contraception to all who need it. Whatever contraception you prefer, The Right Time has affordable options so you can choose the right method for your situation. In the middle of COVID-19[female[feminine pandemic, participating health centers have offered telehealth services, including birth control, delivered to your doorstep. And with 12 The Right Time Health Centers in 32 locations across Missouri, including three in the Springfield area, this initiative is a true statewide effort.

In January, President Joe Biden took an important first step by repealing the gag rule. It is a ray of hope in the cloud thrown over clinics and patients, but it is not enough.

The gag rule continues to put Title X health care providers at risk and the lives of Missourians at risk. In Missouri, an estimated 30,100 people of reproductive age (13-44) in need of state-funded contraception live in a county losing Title X resources. As our nation turns the page of four years of The relentless attacks on Title X, it is essential that state lawmakers take bold action to undo the damage caused by this nefarious policy. From the White House to the Missouri Legislature, we must champion policies that affirm the fundamental freedom of everyone to control their body, their health, and their future.

About Mark A. Tomlin

Check Also

A wake-up call for public education

Placeholder while loading article actions A recent national analysis contained a deeply troubling finding that …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.