Court Rules that Title X Domestic Gag Rule Allowed to go into Effect

SisterLove Continues to Advocate for Complete and Comprehensive Healthcare Domestically and World-Wide

Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump Administration’s new Title X Rule - referred to as the Domestic Gag Rule - can go into effect. Now, medical providers who receive Title X funding are at risk for losing critical federal support for sexual and reproductive health services if they discuss abortion services with their patients. A similar rule is already in place internationally - referred to as the Global Gag Rule - that blocks U.S. global health assistance to all foreign nongovernmental organizations that use their own funds to engage in any abortion- related service delivery or advocacy - including providing information, counseling, and referrals.

The purpose of Title X is to provide affordable birth control and reproductive health care to people who couldn’t otherwise afford health care services on their own. By tying recipients’ funding to discussion of one specific medical procedure, healthcare providers may have to choose between providing complete and comprehensive information to their patients and keeping their doors open. The effects of this rule will be felt most harshly by communities - including people of color, immigrant communities, LGBTQ folks, and families struggling to make ends meet - who already face extreme barriers to accessing care.

There are 4 million patients who receive care through Title X every year, and the gag rule directly threatens their access to affordable, basic health care. By refusing to allow discussion of abortion as yet another safe, routine treatment option, the rule denies those seeking Title X services all information necessary to make their personal pregnancy and family planning decisions. This requirement not only deceives people but forces them to waste more time, energy, and money - resources Title X patients often lack - to find correct medical information on service they have asked for, need, or want to learn more about.

SisterLove firmly believes that all people should be able to speak to healthcare providers and trust that they are receiving the best and accurate information and that health professionals should not be silenced and barred from doing their jobs. We stand in solidarity with our partners and other healthcare providers who continue providing vital services to the communities we serve.

Take Action

• Call on the Senate to Take Action: Call Congress at (202) 601-3441 and urge your Senators to protect Title X and defend access to birth control nationwide.

• Spread the Word: Use the hashtags #ProtectX and #NoGagRule to amplify the importance and impact of Title X and harm the gag rule poses to the health and rights of millions of people across the country

• Follow Along: Follow and engage with us on social media @SisterLoveInc to hear more about how to #ProtectX