Press Release |

Gag rule undermines medical ethics and access to care

In response to the news that the Trump administration will prohibit Title X family planning program sites from referring for abortion, even when requested by a patient, Dr. Jenn Conti, Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, issued the following statement:

“This ‘gag rule’ is not only unconscionable, but it undermines medical ethics by allowing health care professionals to withhold accurate and timely medical information from patients.

As a provider of comprehensive reproductive health care, it is my number one priority to keep my patients safe and honor the trust they give me.

“As a provider of comprehensive reproductive health care, it is my number one priority to keep my patients safe and honor the trust they give me. If my patient decides to have an abortion, I should be able to give them a referral to a high quality provider.

“The government should be protecting Title X—a program designed to make sure that every person has access to basic, preventive reproductive health care. It is critical to our nation’s health care safety net that nonprofit clinics like Planned Parenthood participate in Title X. My colleagues and I demand that the Trump administration stop trying to prevent millions of patients from getting the care they need.”