House Republicans Attack Funds for Cancer Screenings, HIV Testing, Birth Control

During midterm elections, most of us heard one pulsing expression of discontent against Democratic candidates: jobs, jobs, jobs. With continuing high unemployment rates, voters decided to try a different political flavor in hopes of improving their economic situation. But the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives apparently need to get their hearing checked, because it seems they heard "HIV testing, birth control, cancer screenings." What other explanation is there for the bills they've chosen to prioritize?

Following the redefining rape debacle in their bill banning abortion funding, anti-choicers have turned to their favorite standby to demonize: Planned Parenthood. They propose to eliminate Title X family planning funding, deciding that millions of American women don't need to be screened for cancer, tested for STDs or HIV, provided with birth control, or offered other important or even life-saving reproductive health care. (Some of these services provided are, of course, vital for men as well.) No doubt they'll be ranting about abortion providers, even though there's already a ban on using family planning funds for that procedure. With a vote imminent, immediate action to protect these services is a top priority.

Given that the House Republicans' first act in Congress was a symbolic repeal of health reform, I get that they disapprove of preventative care, medical coverage, and the like for the public at large (although I haven't heard of any repeals, symbolic or not, of their own government insurance). But their constituents need to stand up and let them know that the rest of the country prefers not to have people becoming needlessly ill or dying preventable death. We might also remind them that, if these (mainly male) politicians are really against abortion, they should be gung-ho about funding contraception, because a lack of birth control means a higher rate of unintended pregnancies that lead women to seek abortions.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Title X family planning funding "promotes positive birth outcomes and healthy families." It's been creating these positive outcomes for decades: "Over the past 40 years, Title X family planning clinics have played a critical role in ensuring access to a broad range of family planning and related preventive health services for millions of low-income or uninsured individuals and others." Republicans shouldn't mess with a good thing we've got going.

Sign on to this petition from Planned Parenthood asking your representative to keep their hands off of family planning funding. Sexual and reproductive health services for millions of women are not an area in which we can afford to sacrifice.

Photo credit: alamosbasement