We Must Protect Title X in NH

The Trump-Pence administration has dismantled the nation’s family planning program, risking health care access for more than 16,000 New Hampshire patients. It’s critical that we encourage state legislators to take action to protect these patients’ access to care.

Title X is the federal family planning program, established under the Nixon administration in 1970 to help low-income people receive basic reproductive health care services. Title X has long enjoyed bipartisan support, and nearly 4 million people nationwide rely on it each year to access health care services they would otherwise go without.

In February, the Trump administration released changes to the Title X program. This gag rule is designed to exclude from the program reproductive health care providers like Planned Parenthood that provide abortion care services. Under this gag rule, facilities that perform abortion services are no longer able to receive Title X funding, even though Title X funding is used strictly for preventative care including STD testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and birth control.

This new rule will also restrict providers that receive Title X funding from referring patients for abortion services, denying those patients the right to receive full and accurate information about their health care. Major national medical groups oppose the gag rule, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

More than 16,000 Granite Staters rely on Title X funding, including more than 11,000 patients who receive care through Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in New Hampshire. This gag rule means a significant loss of funding for PPNNE, which serves almost 70% of Title X patients in the state.

Not only does the Title X gag rule undermine doctors’ ability to fully inform their patients about their health care options, but it also puts the health of people who rely on Title X funding at risk. Click here and ask the House Finance Committee to provide additional state general funds in the budget for the family planning program so that the more than 16,000 Granite Staters who rely on the program can continue to receive the essential health care services they rely on.

Tags: Title X