Protect Title X funding: Submit comments now

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed to make significant changes to the way Title X family planning money is allocated.

Send the Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II a message now.

Rebecca Lucas, a veteran labor and delivery nurse, a United Methodist Woman and maternal health ambassador recently wrote:

The Title X Family Planning Program was created in 1970 as part of the Public Health Service Act. It is the only federal grant program dedicated to providing comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services…In an effort to prevent any medical discussion of abortion, the administration has prioritized so-called family health providers, not clinics that specialize in reproductive medicine.

The United Methodist Church “affirm[s] the right of men and women to have access to comprehensive reproductive health/family planning information and services that will serve as a means to prevent unplanned pregnancies, reduce abortions, and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.” (Social Principles, ¶162.V)

We believe that access to comprehensive medical care should be available to everyone no matter one’s income. Yet, these rule changes would decrease the number of licensed medical professionals accessible to women and families with lower incomes.

Basic, preventative health care such as cancer screenings, STI counseling and contraceptives would be denied to millions of women in poor and rural communities. As people of faith, we too must stand up for ALL women and against these funding changes.

Send comments now to stop this proposed rule from going into effect. The deadline is July 31, 2018, so don’t wait.

We have filled in some of the letter. We have also left the space for you to add your own story or explain in your own words why your faith leads you to oppose these changes.

Note: Comments are a public record. Any information you add to the comment may be publicly disclosed by the Department of Health and Human Services. We recommend you don’t add anything you wouldn’t want easily-accessible on the internet.