The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released proposed regulations Wednesday to end the Title X gag rule. In 2019, the Trump administration finalized the domestic gag rule, which undermined the Title X program and denied people across the country access to affordable reproductive health care, such as birth control and lifesaving cancer screenings, through the program. In just under two years, it slashed the Title X network’s patient capacity nearly in half, creating unacceptable barriers to affordable care.
The gag rule threatened the health care of 50,000 Oregonians who rely on the Title X program. Fortunately, we were able to work closely with state officials to create critical backstops and protect access to care for all Oregonians who need it.
Statement from Lisa Gardner, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon: “Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon was proud to serve as the lead plaintiff in a national lawsuit to stop this cruel policy. Access to sexual and reproductive health care is inextricably tied to health and safety during the pandemic. After the close of the comment period, the Biden-Harris administration must move to swiftly end the gag rule and ensure the Title X program is able to meet people’s needs. This would be urgent in any environment, but it is all the more urgent as we continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The proposed, updated regulations from HHS, when finalized, will end the Title X gag rule and make other modifications to strengthen the program and better ensure access to equitable, affordable, client-centered, quality healthcare services for patients under Title X. A 30-day comment period will allow the public to underline the harm the gag rule has wrought and emphasize why it must be ended as swiftly as possible.
As the nation’s only federal program dedicated to providing affordable birth control and other reproductive health care to people with low incomes, Title X is a critical piece of the social safety net that helps ensure equitable access to essential health care. Title X grants fund services like birth control, contraceptive counseling, STI treatment, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and pre-pregnancy care.
Title X disproportionately serves Black, Latino and Indigenous patients; patients with low incomes; and patients in rural areas. Because of centuries of systemic racism and inequities, people from these communities have always faced daunting barriers to getting the health care they need. Systemic racism and other inequities have also caused these communities the most harm from the COVID-19 pandemic, including a death rate of double or more that of white Americans and disproportionately harsh economic hardship.
Oregon is among six states that no longer have any Title X providers. Before the Trump administration implemented the gag rule, Planned Parenthood health centers across the country served approximately 40 percent of the program’s 4 million patients. After the gag rule, the patients receiving Title X services were forced to find new providers, or stopped receiving critical care entirely.
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Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon (PPSO) has been dedicated to providing expert reproductive health care and sexuality education in Southwestern Oregon for over 55 years. PPSO provides more than 30,000 patient visits each year at five health centers. PPSO is also the region’s most respected provider of medically accurate sexuality education for young people and adults, as well as training programs for professionals who work with youth and families. Education and training programs make over 9,000 contacts each year, transforming the lives of young people in southwestern Oregon. PPSO’s essential health services include breast and cervical cancer screenings, well-woman annual exams, birth control, abortion care, STI prevention, testing and treatment, pregnancy testing, PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis), HPV vaccinations and vasectomies. For more information, visit www.ppsworegon.org.