Wednesday's letters: Protecting access to women's health care

Our CEO, Barbara Zdravecky, had her letter published in the Tampa Bay Times. You can see the original publication here.

Over the past year, politicians in 24 states including Florida have been trying to take away women's access to basic health care at Planned Parenthood and other trusted women's health providers. Thankfully, President Barack Obama recently took steps — by reinforcing longstanding federal law — to ensure that no one can stand in the way of the care women need.

The administration announced a proposed rule that reinforces existing protections in the Title X family planning program that prohibit states from discriminating against women's health providers. Title X is meant to help ensure that every person — regardless of where they live, how much money they make or whether or not they have health insurance — has access to basic reproductive health care.

Planned Parenthood turns 100 years old this year, and our health centers provide care for approximately 1.5 million of the more than 4 million patients served by the Title X program. Here in Florida we serve 80,000 women, men and young people every year. People turn to us because they know and trust us, and because they know they can get quality, affordable care. For many of the patients Planned Parenthood serves in our region, public funding such as Title X is the only way they are able to access our care. The Obama administration is standing up for millions of people who would have nowhere to turn without Planned Parenthood. With Zika cases on the rise in Florida, this care is even more important.

The Title X program is especially important for women of color. For some, Planned Parenthood is the only place they can turn. We may be the only place they can go in their community, or the only place that offers the screening or birth control method they need. For our patients, it's not about politics. It's about their health care.

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