Issues
In New Jersey, access to reproductive health care is at risk.
In 2010, Governor Christie cut $7.45 million in funding for family planning services in New Jersey from the state budget. This funding accounted for less than 0.022% of the entire statewide budget – a drop in the bucket for New Jersey’s women, men, and teens. Every year since 2010, the Governor has not heeded calls to stand with New Jersey women and protect access to essential reproductive health care services – and seven years later, a cumulative total of more than $50 million has not been available to invest in keeping New Jersey healthy.
Now, a new report by Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, Access At Risk: Reproductive Health and Family Planning in New Jersey, paints an alarming picture of the real-world consequences for New Jersey residents when politicians block access to and defund basic family planning services, including cancer screenings and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
It’s time to stop playing politics with New Jersey women’s lives. Access to care should not depend on a woman’s income or zip code.
STIs
The number of cases of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) has increased 35 percent statewide since funding for family planning services was cut from the state budget in 2010. Half of New Jersey counties have experienced an increase of nearly 50 percent or more. Sexually transmitted infections, if left untreated, can lead to serious health issues like infertility and certain types of cancer.
Breast and Cervical Cancer
Between 2009 and 2013, the number of breast and cervical cancer cases has risen 5.2 percent among all New Jersey women, 6.6 percent among Black women, and an alarming 25.1 percent among Latinas. The unfortunate reality is that women of color in the U.S. face more barriers to accessing health care than white women, and so are less likely to get preventive screenings, more likely to be diagnosed at later stages, and more likely to experience worse health outcomes when it comes to breast and cervical cancer because of these barriers.
Contraception
More than 435,000 women across New Jersey need contraception that is publicly funded, a 5 percent increase since 2010. The ability to plan, prevent, and space pregnancies is directly linked to benefits to women, men, children, and society, including more educational and economic opportunities, healthier babies, more stable families, and a reduced taxpayer burden.
County Fact Sheets
A summary of how the cuts immediately affected access to care, county-by-county.
Local Impact of Cuts to Family Planning
To date, six of the 58 family planning health centers have closed so far as a result of the state cut.
Impact of State Budget Cuts to Women’s Health Programs
In 2010, Governor Chris Christie eliminated a state budget line that allocated $7.45 million for basic, preventive reproductive health care services.
Abortion Access
Planned Parenthood believes every woman should have access to the full range of reproductive health care. Decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy, or raise a child must be left to a patient, with the counsel of their family, their faith, and their doctor or health care provider. Politicians should not interfere in an individual’s personal medical decisions about their pregnancy.
Birth Control
Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and nearly half of those unintended pregnancies end in abortion. Contraceptives have a proven track record of enhancing the health of patients, preventing unintended pregnancy, and reducing the need for abortion.
Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception (EC), sometimes known as the “morning-after pill” or emergency birth control, is a safe and effective means of preventing pregnancy. Available for nearly 40 years, it contains hormones found in birth control pills and must be taken within 120 hours after intercourse to be effective.
Medicaid Matters
The Medicaid program is the cornerstone of ensuring that low-income patients have access to the health care they need; in fact, Medicaid recognizes the particular importance of family planning services, and includes several critical policy protections to maximize access to these services under Medicaid.
Teen Pregnancy Prevention
In recent years, Governor Christie reversed a policy of rejecting federal funding for Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. These programs misinform young people, which research shows can contribute to their risk of too-early pregnancy and infections.