The Trump administration has just made a move that would alter Title X, a family planning program that provides low income individuals with family planing and preventative health services. Its intent is to provide health care for those who wouldn't otherwise be able to have access to it. Title X provides more than $250 million in funding for birth control along with other forms of reproductive services for more than 4 million people every year.
The change to Title X prohibits health care providers, that run off of government funding, to perform abortions or even make a referral for patients seeking an abortion. This also eliminates the requirement for health care providers to notify a patient of all pregnancy options. If clinics happen to even refer or mention abortions as an option, they can risk losing their funding through Title X as a whole.
This absolutely ludicrous idea makes me question what Trump actually knows about a woman's body as he makes these detrimental, life-changing decisions. From the looks of it, he knows very little.
Here are 5 things I want President Donald Trump to know after making this moronic move.
Clinics like Planned Parenthood provide more than just abortions
Here are general explanations of Planned Parenthood's services, they range from sex education to breast cancer screenings and are not limited to abortion services. By implementing the change to Title X, both men and women of all classes, races, and backgrounds risk losing these services that they may rely on.
Actually, here is a list of all the specific non-abortion services they offer
- Zika Education and Prevention
- Transgender and LGBT Healthcare Services
- HIV Prevention
- Clinical Research
- Online and Video Counseling
- Mobile apps to support medical regimens
- Planned Parenthood Generation Action college campus chapters
- Men's Health Program
- Anemia Testing
- Checkups for Sexual Health Problems
- Cholesterol Screening
- Colon Cancer Screening
- Diabetes Screening
- Employment and Sports Physicals
- Flu Vaccination
- High Blood Pressure Screening
- Rape Crisis Counseling Referrals
- Routine Physical Exams
- Smoking Cessation
- Tetanus Vaccination
- Thyroid Screening
- UTI Testing and Treatment
- Pregnancy Testing
- Adoption Services
- Adoption Referrals
- Fertility Awareness Education
- Pregnancy Planning Services
- Prenatal Services
- Childbirth Classes
- Postpartum Exams
- Trained Staff to Discuss Options If You Are Pregnant
- Trained Staff to Talk with You About Miscarriage
- Birth Control Implant
- Birth Control Patch
- Birth Control Pill
- Birth Control Shot
- Birth Control Sponge
- Birth Control Vaginal Ring
- Cervical Cap
- Diaphragm
- Condom
- FC2 Female Condom
- Fertility Awareness Method (FAMs)
- IUD (hormonal, copper)
- Spermicide
- Men's Sterilization (Vasectomy)
- Sterilization (Essure, Tubal Ligation)
- Birth Control Pills as Emergency Contraception
- Morning-after Pill (Plan B and Similar Brands)
- Morning-after Pill (Ella)
- IUD (Copper)
When you take away abortion services, women will often go to extreme (dangerous) measures to get them
According to a New York Times report, the amount of "Google searches for DIY abortions" are rising. This increase is due to abortion clinic shutdowns and anti-abortion laws. Around 4,000 searches were targeted towards coat hanger abortions.
Fetuses do not feel pain during abortions
A fetus cannot feel pain until the 24th week of pregnancy, a time in which abortions are no longer legal.
Your laws have no place anywhere near my body.
My body, my choice. It's as simple as that.
*drops mic*