Title X Gag Rule In Effect:  Planned Parenthood NJ Won’t Turn Backs on Patients

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND OF NEW JERSEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 21, 2019

Contact: Casey Olesko 973-775-2781 / [email protected]

 

Title X Gag Rule In Effect: 

Planned Parenthood NJ Won’t Turn Backs on Patients

 

TRENTON, NJ — After a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeal for the 9th Circuit issued yesterday, the Trump-Pence administration’s Title X gag rule has taken immediate effect in New Jersey and across the country. We will continue to fight this dangerous rule in the courts and alongside champions in Congress. In the interim, Planned Parenthood has limited emergency funds that will allow the 22 health centers in New Jersey to continue providing care for patients in the short term, while seeking further emergency relief from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. But one message is clear for the nearly 77,000 Planned Parenthood patients in New Jersey who have used Title X services in the last year: these doors are still open.

“The health and needs of our patients are our top priorities, and we will continue to ensure our patients receive the best care — no matter what,” said Triste Brooks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey. “Our health centers are open and seeing patients, while we continue to fight this dangerous and unethical gag rule.”

Trump’s gag rule makes it illegal for health care providers in the Title X program to refer patients for abortion, and also blocks access to care at Planned Parenthood by imposing cost-prohibitive and unnecessary “physical separation” requirements. This rule is unethical and dangerous, and Planned Parenthood refuses to participate in a program that requires information be withheld from patients. All people should be able to make their own decisions about what is best for their lives, health, and families.

More background and information on the gag rule and the litigation can be found here.

The 9th Circuit granted the request from the Trump-Pence administration to block the preliminary injunctions in California, Oregon, and Washington, which allows the gag rule to go into effect in all states besides Maryland. Four judges had previously blocked the rule, with two judges blocking it nationwide. The medical community, public health experts, and the general public are against this rule. In addition to the American Medical Association, the gag rule has been opposed by major medical associations, like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, as well as 110 public health organizations, and public health experts such as former U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, and many others. A group of 19 different medical organizations, mayors, state lawmakers, over 200 Members of Congress, newly elected Democratic governors, and several other governors have opposed this legislation as well.

This assault on birth control and reproductive health care comes at a time when our rights and freedoms hang in the balance. An unprecedented number of extreme abortion bans are being enacted across the country, many of which don’t include exceptions for rape or incest, could jail doctors (in one case for up to 99 years) simply for providing care, and could allow the state to investigate women’s miscarriages. The Title X gag rule shows that anti-reproductive health care politicians are not just coming for abortion access, but all reproductive health care.