FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Mecoy
laura@mecoy.net
310-546-5860
VENICE FAMILY CLINIC STATEMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF TITLE X REGULATIONS
Calls New Rules Restricting Women’s Health Care Federal Funds “Unconscionable and Unethical”
LOS ANGELES – (Apr. 1, 2020) – Following is a statement from Karen Lamp, M.D., associate medical director and director of the Briskin Women’s Health program at Venice Family Clinic, on the implementation of the administration’s regulations restricting the use of Title X funding, which went into effect on April 1:
“These unconscionable and unethical regulations put low-income women’s health at risk. Title X funds provide health care services to some 4 million low-income women nationwide. These services include birth control, wellness checks, breast and cervical cancer screening, and HIV and sexually transmitted disease tests. All are critical to women’s health.
“Under the regulations, health care providers have to choose between giving up Title X funds that are needed for these services – or operating unethically by allowing the government to dictate what can and cannot be said to patients.
“For instance, health care providers receiving Title X funds can only provide a patient seeking pregnancy options with a confusing list of clinics that may or may not provide the full range of options. Accurate and unambiguous referrals are vital because finding clinics that offer terminations, for example, has become increasingly difficult – even in California. So if a woman finds herself choosing to terminate a pregnancy, these regulations require clinics receiving Title X funds to refer her to prenatal care.
“At Venice Family Clinic, we will continue to provide health care services previously funded by Title X. We won’t force our patients to choose between getting factual information and getting the care they need.
“We call on Congress to repeal these regulations and protect the health of women who are struggling to make ends meet or who don’t have health insurance.”
About Venice Family Clinic
Venice Family Clinic is a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality primary health care to people living in poverty. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Clinic has grown from a small storefront operation into one of Los Angeles’ leading community health centers, providing care to nearly 28,000 men, women and children annually through 12 sites in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Inglewood and Culver City. The Clinic leads the way in providing comprehensive and integrated care by creating a one-stop health system that offers multiple services, often at the same locations and same time as primary care appointments. These services include dental care, substance use treatment, mental health services, vision screenings, child development classes, health education, prescription medications, domestic violence counseling, HIV/AIDS services, street medicine for people experiencing homelessness and health insurance enrollment services. For more information, visit VeniceFamilyClinic.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.