Planned Parenthood of New York City Slams Trump's Newly Released "Gag Rule"

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Trump-Pence administration released its dangerous "gag rule," despite widespread public outcry from medical professionals, advocates, and lawmakers. This attack on Title X, the nation's only federal family planning program, is scheduled to go into effect 60 days after official publication.

The gag rule is designed to make it impossible for patients to get birth control or preventive care from sexual and reproductive health care providers like Planned Parenthood, and others that provide comprehensive, medically accurate care, including providing or referring for abortion care.

Every year, 150,000 people in NYC receive health care through the Title X program. Twenty-two NYC health care providers receive Title X funding, including Planned Parenthood of New York City, 10 NYC Health + Hospital sites, and other community-based providers.

Statement from Laura McQuade, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of New York City: 

"Last time I checked, neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had a license to practice medicine. This is yet another cruel attempt by anti-abortion politicians to invade our nation's exam rooms with their extremist views.

The gag rule is a direct attack on communities who have the most difficulty in accessing affordable preventive health care. Blocking skilled health care providers from giving their patients the complete and medically accurate information they need is cruel and unethical. Period. We will not stand for it.

Our communities deserve high-quality, compassionate health care always - whether they are seeking abortion, birth control, or a routine wellness visit. At PPNYC, we will never stop providing health care to our communities who rely on us, and we will continue to fight this outrageous and unjust policy."

What does Title X do?

The Title X program is there to help ensure that every person — regardless of where they live, how much money they make, what their background is, or whether or not they have health insurance — has access to basic, preventive sexual and reproductive health care, such as birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and annual health exams.

This gag rule does three things: 

1. Imposes new rules that are designed to make it impossible for these patients to get birth control or preventive care from reproductive health care providers like Planned Parenthood.
2. Prevents doctors, nurses, hospitals, and community health centers across the country from referring their patients for safe, legal abortion.
3. Removes the guarantee that patients will get full and accurate information from their doctor who would now be required to withhold information from a patient about their pregnancy options.

The gag rule makes it impossible for Planned Parenthood health centers to uphold their medical standards and provide complete, ethical, quality care through the Title X program. If the gag rule is put into effect, Planned Parenthood of New York City would have no choice but to act in the best interests of our patients and providers and refuse to participate in an unethical Title X program.

CONTACT: Senti Sojwal, [email protected], 917-757-4908

SOURCE Planned Parenthood of New York City