HRC Responds to Trump-Pence Administration’s Attack on Women’s Health Care Through a Gag Rule

by Charlotte.Clymer@hrc.org

WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to news that the Trump-Pence Administration is considering a rule that would aggressively block patients from receiving necessary guidance from medical professionals on reproductive health care by restricting federal funding to medical facilities that provide comprehensive information about their reproductive health care options, perform abortions or refer patients to facilities that do.

“This is an unprecedented attack millions of women and LGBTQ people who rely on health care facilities, including Planned Parenthood, for reproductive health care,” said David Stacy, HRC Government Affairs Director. “The Trump-Pence Administration is once again attempting to undermine access to care for women and LGBTQ people, putting lives at risk. Planned Parenthood and similar health care providers offer a wide variety of crucial services, including 700,000 HIV tests each year, birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and general health exams. Everyone, regardless of their background, deserves the best medical care and information available. This proposed rule would help no one. It is a cynical political attack from a White House that has spent its time in office systematically eroding legal protections and essential services for vulnerable communities.”

The proposed gag rule would:

  • Make it impossible for millions of patients to get birth control or preventative care from facilities like Planned Parenthood;
  • Prevent health care workers from referring patients to facilities that provide safe and legal abortions; and
  • Remove the guarantee that patients receive full and accurate information from their medical providers.


The American College of Physicians (ACP) and American College of Gynecologists (ACOG) have both come out against changes like those in this proposed rule. The rule would be a radical departure from America standards of care and has never been implemented domestically.

 

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

 

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