Planned Parenthood Arizona Concerned About Proposed Gag Rule

Published: Friday, May 18, 2018 - 1:47pm
Updated: Friday, May 18, 2018 - 3:18pm
Audio icon Download mp3 (1.15 MB)

The Trump administration is expected to introduce a gag rule that would change the way health care providers discuss affordable birth control and reproductive health care.  Members of Planned Parenthood Arizona are already voicing their concerns.

Under the proposed rule, doctors, nurses, hospitals, and community health clinics across the country that participate in the Title X program would no longer be able to refer their patients for safe, legal abortions.

Jodi Liggett is the vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood Arizona. She said the rule would make it impossible for patients to get birth control or preventative health care from providers like Planned Parenthood, that also happen to provide abortions.

"You would essentially be removing that nation’s oldest and largest provider of family planning services from the nation’s family planning program," Liggett said. "[That] doesn't make sense to us or a lot of other folks.”

Liggett said this new rule removes the guarantee that patients are getting full and accurate information from their doctors.