Richards On Women's Health, Abortion In The Obama Era

I recently interviewed Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards via email about her expectations of the policy differences between the Bush and Obama administrations on reproductive health issues and abortion rights. As thousands gather on the National Mall today -- the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade -- for the March for Life, here are Richards' thoughts about which Bush initiatives should be reversed.

JS: The Bush era has been friendly to the anti-abortion community. Over the last eight years, Bush has reinstated the global gag rule, which restricts federal funding to overseas groups that provide abortion services, and his administration has advocated for abstinence-only education efforts. During his tenure, the Supreme Court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. President Obama has said he would sign the Freedom of Choice Act, limiting restrictions on abortion procedures. The choice community is looking to undo many of Bush's initiatives restricting access to abortions. So, what are the priorities for Planned Parenthood and like-minded groups for the earlier months of Barack Obama's first term?

CR: Planned Parenthood is first and foremost a health care provider. Each year, Planned Parenthood provides approximately five million women, men and adolescents with health care and education services worldwide. And with many Americans seeking affordable health care services, the eight years of the Bush administration have been devastating. With President Obama, we have a president who will work to ensure that women's health is a priority and that women have access to comprehensive and affordable health care services.

We look forward to working with President Obama on three critical women's health priorities:

First, we need commonsense policies that reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and teen pregnancies. We can do this by expanding family planning programs, restoring affordable birth control for college health clinics and low-income clinics, and investing in age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education and rejecting dangerous, ineffective abstinence-only programs.

Second, we must expand access to affordable family planning and prevention care, both domestically and internationally. That means increasing funding for Title X, the nation's family planning program; investing in cost-effective preventive health care, such as breast cancer screenings and Pap tests; reversing the global gag rule and restoring funding for the UN Population Fund, which both provide valuable family planning work internationally; and overturning Bush's midnight HHS regulation that would limit the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate health care information.

Third, we need to make sure that everyone has access to affordable, quality health care, especially women. Women are adversely affected by the soaring costs of health care. According to studies, women of childbearing age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men, in part because of reproductive health-related supplies and services. Planned Parenthood is also increasingly seeing more and more women who have no health insurance and can't afford it.

JS: Obama has said that he would sign FOCA as one of his first acts in office. In the time since he made that campaign trail pledge, however, the economy has tanked, unemployment has increased and several industries sit on the brink of financial ruin. Can the President afford to tackle policy matters related to abortion, long a divisive social issue, early in his administration?

CR: President Obama understands that the time has come to bring people together around commonsense solutions to reduce unintended pregnancies. The vast majority of Americans want government to focus on solving problems, such as increasing access to affordable health care, investing in prevention care, and helping children stay healthy and safe and not become parents before they are ready.

Planned Parenthood will work with the President to address the immediate problems that women are facing: access to affordable health care, reducing unintended and teen pregnancy, and investing in preventive health care. The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would codify and protect a women's right to choose by securing women's access to reproductive health care services under federal law. It is one item on a long list of priorities that the Obama administration will have to tackle to reverse the damage of the past eight years.

JS: What's your advice for Obama about how he should shape his health care proposal to include coverage for reproductive health services such as Pap smears and breast exams? Should he push for contraception to be covered as well? What about the morning after pill?

CR: Investing in preventive health services such as Pap smears, family planning and breast exams not only saves lives, it's a smart economic investment, particularly during these difficult economic times. President Obama understands this and we believe his health care proposal will put women's health care needs first. First, this means increasing access to high-quality, affordable care.

The President has also said that any comprehensive health care plan should cover contraception to reduce unintended pregnancies. Contraception is basic health care: 98 percent of women use birth control at some point in their life, and 27 states require insurance companies that cover prescription drugs to cover the full-range of FDA-approved contraceptives. [LINK] Plan B, which is also contraception, should also be covered. Planned Parenthood is also holding Women's Health Matters Conversations across the country, engaging our supporters and taking part in the grassroots effort to reform our nation's health care system and build support for a comprehensive health care plan.

JS: Is there room for abstinence education in our schools' comprehensive sex education programs?

CR: Yes. Abstinence education already is a part of comprehensive sex education. All credible studies, including one funded by Congress have shown that abstinence-only programs don't work, and don't delay when teens have sex. In our society, teens need honest and accurate information so they can make responsible decisions. As the mother of two teenagers, I know it can be difficult to talk with your kids about sex. We need education programs in our schools that will keep teens healthy -- by including information about abstinence as well as contraception, healthy communication, responsible decision making, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections. It's time to put money toward real solutions that will help prevent sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancies.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)