Page 2 - AT

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 6 March 2019

AMA: Trump family-planning abortion rule risks health crisis

From Front funded by the federal Title
X program from making
By DAVID CRARY abortion referrals — a pro-
AP National Writer vision that critics denounce
The American Medical As- as a “gag rule.”
sociation and Planned Clinics that receive Title
Parenthood filed a fed- X grants also would be
eral court lawsuit Tuesday barred from sharing office
challenging a new Trump space with abortion pro-
administration rule chang- viders — a requirement
ing criteria for family-plan- that would in many cases
ning grant money in ways boost costs for providers
sought by anti-abortion ac- like Planned Parenthood
tivists. that offer abortions and
The new rule, announced other services, including
last week by the Depart- family planning.
ment of Health and Hu- The result of the rule, if im-
man Services, would pro- plemented, “will be a na-
hibit family planning clinics tional public health crisis

In this July 10, 2018, file photo, Hillary Namba, left, of Seattle, holds a wire coat hanger and a sign
that reads “We Won’t Go Back,” as she takes part in a protest in Seattle.
Associated Press
in short order,” the lawsuit in 1970, makes family-plan- with their patients about all
said. “Pregnancies that are ning services available to their health care options,”
unintended, and thus risk- low-income individuals for said the AMA’s president,
ier, will increase. The num- free or at low cost. Dr. Barbara McAneny.
ber of abortions will also In the lawsuit filed in U.S. Dis- “This blatant violation of
increase. And there will trict Court in Eugene, Ore- patients’ rights under the
be fewer tests for sexually gon, the AMA and Planned Code of Medical Ethics is
transmitted infections and Parenthood contended untenable.” “Families that
cancer screens — putting that the new rule violates are struggling to make ends
patients and their partners a congressional mandate meet and people who live
at great health risk,” the that patients receiving in- in rural areas must have the
lawsuit said. Planned Par- formation about their preg- same access to full, unbi-
enthood, which operates nancies through Title X must ased information from their
a nationwide network of receive complete, unbi- doctor as everyone else,”
health centers, says it will ased information about said Wen.
leave the Title X program their options. They argued Wen stressed that Planned
if the rule is implemented, that the ban on abortion Parenthood, even if it left
forgoing an estimated $60 referrals violates this man- Title X, would continue to
million in annual funding date and unconstitution- offer its full array of servic-
rather than abide by the ally infringes on health care es, including birth control
new restrictions. providers’ responsibilities to and screenings for sexually
Such an exit could have their patients. transmitted diseases and
enormous impact: Planned “Because of the adminis- cancer. But it would not be
Parenthood serves 1.6 mil- tration’s overreach and in- able to maintain the level
lion of the 4 million women terference ... physicians will of free or low-cost contra-
who get care through Title be prohibited from having ception that was available
X. The program, enacted open, frank conversations via Title X.q