They're Not Pro-Life

On Friday, February 3, 2012 the Austin Chronicle published an article about funding cuts for women's health care in the Capital Area.

Many Texas Planned Parenthood clinics are closing due to lack of funding.  Why? Because Texas government officials have cut funding for women’s health care services.  Planned Parenthood has lost funding due to a campaign enforcing 'Pro-Life'. Millions of dollars from the state budget for family planning have been cut in Texas, leaving women across the Capitol Area without proper well-woman care.  By cutting funding for abortions, the Government is also cutting funding for crucial health care services.  In fact, many of the clinics forced to close their doors did not even provide abortion services.  Without those doors open, women are unable to receive necessary preventative health screenings for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Breast and Cervical Cancer.  Without routine services for family planning and well-woman care we can expect to see a rise in health problems in pregnant women as well as their children, causing the state even more money to treat what could have been prevented. Rep. Donna Howard emphasized that " We've already seen that there's an association between unintended pregnancies and lack of prenatal care, with problems that may occur with premature deliveries, with low-birth-weight infants, with subsequent issues of health for the child as the child develops, as well as impacts with the woman being able to get a job, and be able to provide child care. The list goes on and on. There's a real multiplier here and the impacts of the cost on society – just by virtue of not giving this woman a couple of hundred dollars in preventive care."  Not everyone is fortunate enough to have health insurance and many rely solely on Government funding at clinics such as Planned Parenthood.  By cutting these funds, the Government is hurting the population and putting many citizens at danger that shouldn't have to be. If adjustments are going to be made regarding the funding for such clinics, there should be some sort of guideline differentiating between the types of services received.  If abortion is the root of all of these budget cuts, then there should be some sort of regulation specifically against abortion services that does not affect other necessary health care services.  It seems to be agreed that 'Pro-Life' is 'anti-women and anti-family'.