This past Sunday, Feb. 12, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio signed a bill into effect which will block roughly $1.3 million in yearly federal grants from Planned Parenthood and organizations like it who perform certain kinds of abortions in the state.
Federal law already blocks taxpayer money from being used for abortions, so in reality, the defunding will affect health services like breast and cervical cancer screenings.
Planned Parenthood has said that this will not force its organization to close its clinics or turn patients away, however it will be a major setback in regards to the health services and programs funded by these grants which are beneficial to the men and women who need them.
"This legislation will have devastating consequences for women across Ohio," Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said in a statement. "John Kasich is proudly eliminating care for expectant mothers and newborns; he is leaving thousands without vital STD and HIV testing, slashing a program to fight domestic violence, and cutting access to essential, basic health care."
Ironically, programs aimed at educating adolescents on how to prevent pregnancy and access to contraception may be helpful in the prevention of a woman needing an abortion in the first place.
In the 2015 fiscal year, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Ohio say they used federal grants to provide 623 youths in the juvenile and foster care system with 18 hours each of educational services on healthy relationships, financial literacy, career success and comprehensive sexuality education. (Source: Planned Parenthood)
This bill is setting Ohio back in terms of affordable healthcare for the men and women who need it. Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio CEO Stephanie Kight says that her organization is the state's largest reproductive health care provider. Her organization sees about 70,000 patients each year and enrolls another 40,000 in educational programs.
In 2015, federal grants were also used to provide 142 breast and cervical cancer screenings, 47,137 sexually transmitted infection tests, and 3,620 HIV tests along with serving 500 individuals through the Violence Against Women Act education and prevention programs. (Source: Planned Parenthood)
Additionally, the money helped Planned Parenthood serve 2,780 individuals through the state infant mortality reduction program, according to the organization. Ohio holds the third-highest infant mortality rate for African-Americans in the United States.
Since Planned Parenthood doesn’t intend to turn away patients, it will have to find other ways to pay for services affected by the cuts. This could mean charging client fees or using philanthropic dollars to support the programs being affected.
