Go to Content Go to Navigation Go to Navigation Go to Site Search Homepage

Planned Parenthood Action Fund: “These Doors Will Stay Open”

Statement from Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund
 
New York — Today, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state of Texas can deny women access to preventive health care, despite the desperate need of thousands of uninsured Texan women for basic preventive care. The court lifted an injunction that had barred Texas from enforcing its ban against Planned Parenthood health centers’ participation in the Women’s Health Program.
Following is a statement from Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
 
“We are evaluating every possible option to protect women’s health in Texas. This case has never been about Planned Parenthood — it's about the women who rely on Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings, birth control, and well-woman exams.
 
“It is shocking that politics would get in the way of women receiving access to basic health care.  Governor Perry has already thrown 160,000 women off of health care for partisan political reasons — now there will be more to come. Today’s ruling puts the health of an additional 52,000 women in jeopardy. 
 
“For nearly 100 years, women and families have trusted Planned Parenthood for high-quality, affordable health care and information. We won't let politics interfere with the health care that nearly three million people a year rely on Planned Parenthood for in Texas and around the country. Planned Parenthood health center doors are open today and they’ll be open tomorrow."
 
###
Background facts:
 
FACT: The George Washington University report  authors conclude community healthcenters would have to grow their Women’s Health Program participation 12-fold – from fewer than 4,000 WHP patients to nearly 56,000 – to offset the loss of Planned Parenthood from the program. 
 
FACT:  In issuing the injunction, US District Court Judge Lee Yeakel expressed concern about the impact the rule would have for low-income Texas women in need of access to Women's Health Program services, which includes lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, testing and treatment for STDs, breast health services, Pap tests, and sexual health education and information. “[Planned Parnthood] currently provide[s] a critical component of Texas' family-planning services to low-income women," Judge Yeakel wrote. "The court is unconvinced that Texas will be able to find substitute providers for these women in the immediate future."
 
FACT: Currently more than one-quarter of Texan women are uninsured, and women in Texas face one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the U.S.
 
FACT: Women’s Health Program funds are prohibited by law from paying for abortions.
 
FACT:  Planned Parenthood health centers that participate in the Women’s Health Program are legally and financially separate from Planned Parenthood health centers that provide safe and legal abortions. 

FACT:  The Texas rule to exclude Planned Parenthood from WHP comes after budget cuts passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor Perry last year have dramatically reduced the state’s family planning program by more than two-thirds.  These cuts are projected to take health care away from 160,000 women per year.

Español

This website uses cookies

Planned Parenthood cares about your data privacy. We and our third-party vendors use cookies and other tools to collect, store, monitor, and analyze information about your interaction with our site to improve performance, analyze your use of our sites and assist in our marketing efforts. You may opt out of the use of these cookies and other tools at any time by visiting Cookie Settings. By clicking “Allow All Cookies” you consent to our collection and use of such data, and our Terms of Use. For more information, see our Privacy Notice.

Cookie Settings

Planned Parenthood cares about your data privacy. We and our third-party vendors, use cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies to collect, store, monitor, and process certain information about you when you access and use our services, read our emails, or otherwise engage with us. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device. We use that information to make the site work, analyze performance and traffic on our website, to provide a more personalized web experience, and assist in our marketing efforts. We also share information with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners. You can change your default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our Necessary Cookies as they are deployed to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.

Marketing

On

We use online advertising to promote our mission and help constituents find our services. Marketing pixels help us measure the success of our campaigns.

Performance

On

We use qualitative data, including session replay, to learn about your user experience and improve our products and services.

Analytics

On

We use web analytics to help us understand user engagement with our website, trends, and overall reach of our products.