Catholics for Choice Celebrates Restoration of Title X Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Contact: John Becker, Communications Specialist
Phone: 202-203-0931
Email: jbecker@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Celebrates Restoration of Title X Program
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, released the following statement today from President Jamie L. Manson after the Biden administration finally and formally scrapped the Title X gag rule, a dangerous Trump-era policy that prohibited healthcare providers who receive government-funded family planning grants from referring patients for abortion services.
Title X is the only federal program specifically dedicated to providing people with affordable and comprehensive family planning and reproductive care, and is targeted to prioritize serving people who are uninsured and/or with low incomes. Because of this, the Title X gag rule is especially harmful to people of color; young people; LGBTQ people; and other populations that, due to systemic racism and institutionalized bigotry, are disproportionately likely to make lower wages and lack health insurance. In April, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed regulations to end the gag rule and update Title X to make it even more inclusive of historically underserved communities; those regulations received final approval Monday and will take effect on November 8.
Said Manson:
“The Title X gag rule instituted by former President Trump is unconscionably cruel, cutting off sexual and reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion services, from the vulnerable populations who need it most. This policy was an appalling violation of human rights as well as the principles of Catholic social teaching, which state that caring for the disadvantaged and marginalized must be our first priority. We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for repealing the gag rule, rectifying this injustice, and ensuring that Title X prioritizes patients over partisan politics.”
Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.