I am a 72-year-old retired obstetrician/gynecologist. Before my retirement, I had my own private practice and also had various roles at our local Planned Parenthoods.
I am writing to express my dismay at the institution of what is a domestic gag rule on Title X providers (doctors, nurses, community health centers, etc.) as of May 22. Title X is the federal program that provides funding to subsidize people needing reproductive health care and contraception. None of the Title X money funds abortions.
The gag rule makes it illegal for health care providers to mention the word abortion. We cannot say that it is legal, that it is safe or how to obtain one.
What will the effect of this gag rule be? The underserved women who rely on Planned Parenthood clinics for their birth control and reproductive health care will not be able to go there anymore because Planned Parenthood will steadfastly continue to provide counseling and access to safe, legal abortion. Women who have the resources to see a private OB/GYN will not suffer from the gag rule.
Planned Parenthood serves 40 percent of Title X patients. A third of women who rely on Title X funding live in counties where Planned Parenthood is the only provider of contraceptive and reproductive services.
The obvious end result of this is that women with limited resources will not get contraception. No contraception will mean increased rates of unintended pregnancies and abortions for this marginalized group. They also will not get screening for sexually transmitted infections and cancer.
My question is: Why does our government want to make life even harder for women who are struggling with adversity already?
Margaret Craven, M.D.
Voorheesville
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