Trump’s ‘Gag Rule’ Cuts Federal Funding for Women’s Health Clinics

For five decades, the Title X Family Planning program has helped millions of low-income Americans get access to low-cost birth control and other sexual health services across the country. Of those benefitting from the Title X program, women of color make up more than half of the recipients, while Latinxs make up at least a third.

Today, President Trump has become a serious threat to the Title X program. His administration has begun to enforce the “domestic gag rule,” which denies funding to health clinics that offer abortion services. Lack of funding not only affects such services, but also affect everything from staffing to open hours to access to resources and trustworthy doctors.

PowerToDecide.Org cites that as of September 18, 2019, fifteen states have lost all or some of their Title X funding , and Planned Parenthood has exited the Title X funding program.

The 8.7 million women who heavily rely on Title X now risk losing reproductive rights and access to basic forms of health care. States like Vermont, Maine, Utah, Oregon, and Washington are no longer supported by Title X, leaving women in those specific areas with very little options.

NBC Latino states that studies from The Center for Disease Control (CDC) show Latinas having an especially increased risk of cervical cancer if fundings for cervical screenings are completely cut.

For more information on the cut in Title X funding, read the NBC Latino article here.