Our priority has always been the health, safety, and well-being of Black women who are and will become pregnant. We are outraged at Donald Trump’s announcement today that he intends to implement a Gag Rule, robbing all low-income women in this country of the reproductive health care and counseling they have accessed at community health centers for 20 years under Title X. Black women, in particular, are already battling bias, assumptions and judgment in health systems as we seek care and counseling. Community health centers are places where more equitable treatment is often available, particularly for those of us who are low-income. That health care professionals in those spaces will be barred from counseling us openly puts us at further risk. Family planning services are not only essential to those seeking contraception, but are also vital for birth spacing and interconception care that many women need for healthy maternal health outcomes. That’s why, Trump’s Gag Rule is extremely harmful to all women, and can potentially further exacerbate the disparities in maternal health. Trump’s rule threatens the very existence of these centers, increases the chances that we will go without prescribed birth control, cancer and STI screenings, and pregnancy counseling when we do carry to term. It’s judgmental, dangerous policy and it affirms what we know: Trump has no regard for women.
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Sample Social Media Message:
Trump’s gag order is a dangerous policy, particularly for Black mothers, + affirms what we know: his Administration has no regard for women. Read + share BMMA’s official statement + demand that lawmakers speak out for #TitleX http://bit.ly/2rVvECI #BlackMamasMatter #NoGagRule