For almost a half-century, Title X funding for family planning has given low-income, uninsured Americans access to vital health care services.
In a new GHN Commentary, two public health researchers in Georgia point to new federal regulations that they say undermine this program.
The researchers, Sarah Blake of Emory University and Andrea Swartzendruber of the University of Georgia, say the new regulations make organizations that avoid promoting and providing contraceptives, such as crisis pregnancy centers, eligible for Title X funding.
“The recently announced changes will limit access to critical health care services, threaten the health and well-being of Georgians who rely on safety-net providers for their health care, and exacerbate the state’s already extraordinarily high rates of unintended pregnancy, maternal mortality, infant mortality, preterm birth, HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases,’’ they write.