the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Aug 5, 2019
In order to attack Planned Parenthood for sometimes recommending abortion, the Trump administration instituted new Title X rules that would end funding for any clinics referring women for abortion. The clinics are not doing the abortions, just the referrals.
Yet, thanks in part to women’s health clinics that help poorer women with birth control, abortion rates have been declining for 40 years.
The new rules, instituted in July, mean that numerous health problems won’t get addressed. In the past, Title X-funded clinics could provide free testing and free medications. Now, a Pap test to check for cervical cancer may cost $264. A mammogram to check for breast cancer may cost $160. A test for sexually transmitted diseases costs $100.
Even worse, the rules restrict access to birth control devices, which could stop unwanted pregnancies. When publicly funded clinics cannot offer them, the cost approaches $1,000. The three-month arm implant Nexplanon can cost up to $1,300 for women not covered by insurance.
A study from 2010 found that family planning clinics stopped millions of unintended pregnancies and thousands of cases of sexually transmitted diseases.
Without help from these clinics, it’s clear that unwanted children and unwanted diseases are going to increase under the new rules.
We should organize to fight these draconian changes, which negatively impact all working people.