Media Contact:
Kelly Thibert, DO, MPH National President
American Medical Student Association
Email: [email protected]
Sterling, VA – March 30, 2017 – Today, the Senate voted to repeal a rule that protects health care access for more than 4 million people who rely on Title X, the nation’s family planning program. This rule ensures that state politicians cannot bar individuals from receiving care at a health center solely because the facility also provides safe, legal abortions. This move comes despite court rulings that have already deemed it illegal to deny patients access to care at Planned Parenthood and other reputable providers—an effort made even more senseless given that Title X funds have never been used for abortion services since the program’s inception.
Title X, established in 1970, is designed to ensure that everyone—regardless of ZIP code, insurance status, or financial situation—has access to essential, preventive reproductive health care. For young and low-income women, Title X remains a crucial lifeline, providing lifesaving services such as cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, birth control, and well-woman exams. According to the Guttmacher Institute, six in ten women who receive care at a family planning health center consider it their primary source of health care. For four in ten, it is their only source.
“Access to high-quality family planning services is critical to women’s lives,” said Dr. Kelly Thibert, AMSA’s national president. “When we examine the health and economic benefits of Title X, we see that its positive effects extend beyond individual women to their families and communities. Weakening this program in any way would be a major setback for public health.”
AMSA firmly supports reproductive health services, reproductive rights, and reproductive health education as fundamental to self-determination in all aspects of life, including sexuality, health, and parenthood. We advocate for universal, equitable access to reproductive health care and education as a means of addressing health disparities and ensuring all individuals can make informed choices about their own well-being.
Physicians have a responsibility to promote community health, which includes ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive care. We must be able to fulfill our ethical duties to our patients and society without political interference, regardless of where we practice. AMSA remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting women and our future patients, upholding their autonomy, and fighting for comprehensive reproductive health and preventive services—no matter what.
About AMSA:
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at http://amsa.org.
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