Trump Administration Sued Over Shift Toward Abstinence-Focused Programs For Family Planning Funding
The lawsuit centers around recently released HHS guidelines for the next round of Title X grant applications, projected to total about $260 million. The agency said it would favor programs that promote "natural family planning" and ones "that do not normalize sexual risk behaviors, but instead clearly communicate the research-informed benefits of delaying sex or returning to a sexually risk-free status."
The Associated Press:
Lawsuits Target Trump Administration Family Planning Policy
Two major organizations that promote birth control filed lawsuits in federal court Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from shifting national family planning policy to stress abstinence and potentially limit counseling for adolescents. One of the suits was filed by Planned Parenthood , which serves 41 percent of the 4 million low-income Americans who receive subsidized services through the Title X family-planning program. The other suit was filed by the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association , which contends the policy shift would reduce access to the most effective contraceptive methods and result in more unintended pregnancies. (Crary, 5/2)
Reuters:
Trump Administration Sued Over Family-Planning Program Shift
Planned Parenthood, whose health centers serve more than 40 percent of patients receiving care subsidized by Title X, in its lawsuit contended that the changes violate the law that created the program and were "arbitrary and capricious." "Planned Parenthood is going to court to stop the Trump-Pence administration from trying to impose its ideology on people," Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. (Raymond, 5/2)
The Hill:
Planned Parenthood Sues Trump Officials Over Changes To Family Planning Program
Dr. Gillian Dean, senior director of medical services at Planned Parenthood, said the administration is “trying to push people toward abstinence or pressure women into marriage — instead of helping them get quality health care.”
Ruth Harlow, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed its own lawsuit Wednesday, added that the administration is “trying to sneak through major change in Title X in the fine print of a grant announcement.” (Sullivan, 5/2)
CQ:
Advocacy Groups Sue Administration Over Family Planning Changes
The Title X program, which has been around since the 1970s, historically enjoyed strong bipartisan support. But more recently, Title X funding has become a sharply partisan issue. Title X helps low-income families procure contraceptives and does not provide abortions. However, contraception and abortion have been intertwined in the debate over women’s health. (Raman, 5/2)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Planned Parenthood Sues Federal Government Over Family-Planning Change
About 85 groups, including the parent organization of Wisconsin Right to Life, sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services this week encouraging it to “disentangle” the Title X program from organizations such as Planned Parenthood that perform abortions. (Boulton, 5/2)
