People protesting for healthcare in Maryland | Photo: Flickr/United Workers
Donald Trump and his administration introduced a new rule on Friday (18 May) that targets women and LGBTI people’s healthcare.
The new rule blocks federal funding from any organization that provides abortions. Or even just shares a space with an abortion provider. It’s a domestic version of the Global Gag Rule, which Trump reinstated last year.
It targets organizations like Planned Parenthood. Under the new rule, abortion services must have physical separate and totally different personnel from other family planning services.
Federal law already says public funding cannot be used to cover abortions. Women seeking them must pay for them themselves unless their insurance covers them.
Though the clear target is any abortion service, the rule threatenes numerous other healthcare services.
Only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s funding goes towards abortions. The top three things they use funding for are STIs and STDs, contraception, and other services for women.
‘This is an attempt to take away women’s basic rights, period. Under this rule, people will not get the health care they need. They won’t get birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, or even general women’s health exams,’ said Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
She also added: ‘I would posit that a president who it’s clear does not know the difference between HIV and HPV should not be interfering in the doctor-patient relationship.’
It also affects LGBTI people
The rule effectively prevents people from getting full information about reproductive healthcare. This applies to LGBTI people too, who also use Planned Parenthood.
‘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.
‘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.’
