“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com.
Defunding Title X Programming Will Have Devastating Consequences on Social Progress and Public Health Outcomes
A perspective from Callie Rockey-Bartlett
I vividly remember reading the Dobbs v. Jackson decision by the Supreme Court, which would overturn Roe v. Wade and 50 years of progress that had been made for reproductive rights. My thoughts ruminated for days on how the Dobbs decision would affect me, my loved ones, and the nation as a whole. The implications of the Dobbs decision were ironic; along with reducing access to abortions, it also would reduce access to contraceptives, which prevent abortions from even being needed.
One consequence of Dobbs was that it accelerated the enforcement of the domestic gag rule, which was implemented during the Trump Administration. The rule attempted to defund the Title X Family Planning program, which is the only federal grant program dedicated to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and preventive health services. The domestic gag rule reduced the Title X network’s capacity by 46% nationwide, affecting around 1.6 million contraceptive patients. This year, members of the House proposed a bill that would eliminate the Title X program altogether. Given that Title X supported clinics are already chronically underfunded, decreasing funding will result in the removal of crucial services, including contraception. We must use our civic power to urge Congress to maintain funding for Title X program, in order to ensure that the Dobbs decision is not a catalyst for continued threats to our personal freedom.
Many of those who advocate for the defunding of Title X argue that birth control encourages sexual behaviors and promote abstinence-only-until-marriage programs as a solution. However, research has found that these programs “fail to prepare young people to avoid unwanted pregnancies,” and have additional consequences. Along with not effectively delaying sexual initiation and reducing sexual risk behaviors, they withhold medically accurate information, reinforce harmful gender stereotypes, and undermine public health efforts. There is vast research that demonstrates that clinics receiving Title X funding are 58% more like likely to provide effective contraception services compared to those who are not Title-X funded. Removing funding will eliminate high-quality services and increase the utilization of medically inaccurate or unreliable services.
The CDC recognized family planning methods, including birth control, as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century. I, along with a vast majority of people, have benefited from contraceptives, by having the ability to decide if, when, and under which circumstances to parent. This is demonstrated in various testimonials referenced by Planned Parenthood, “I’m a poor college student who’s learning to do a lot of good in this world! But I cannot do that if I can’t plan parenthood.” With birth control, young people can be empowered to pursue educational and economic opportunities on their own terms. Limiting access to contraception increases the possibility of unplanned pregnancies, reinforcing cycles of financial insecurity, housing insecurity, or unhealthy relationships. All of these factors can negatively affect the well-being of children and their families, increasing the risk of other poor health and quality of life outcomes.
How can we protect our right to access the services that Title X funding provide? As a constituent, you can practice your civic duty by calling on your elected officials in Congress to prioritize legislation that would increase Title X funding by doing the following: identify the elected officials (representatives and senators) that serve you; find out the best methods to contact them; and develop a concise message that demonstrates your position on Title X and how funding impacts you and your community. The American Civil Liberties Union has a resource that provides tips and guidance on the key elements to consider and include when communicating with elected officials. This funding is crucial for providing individuals with the continued the freedom to choose and plan parenthood on their own terms.
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
