Latina Reproductive Health at Risk – Unprecedented Federal and State Legislative Attacks Disproportionately Affect Latinas

Yesterday, Planned Parenthood hosted a Latino media briefing in response to widespread legislative attempts to restrict access to reproductive health care. These mounting efforts threaten the health and well-being of Latinas and their families.

Some federal and state legislators are trying to bar Planned Parenthood from providing care through publicly funded health programs. They are also aiming to cut health programs that serve large numbers of Latinas. In 2009, 23 percent of Planned Parenthood patients nationwide — or more than 620,000 people — were Latinos. And the number of male Latino patients increased by 191 percent between 2000 and 2009.

Leaders nationwide are raising alarms about the impact these efforts will have on Latinas, many of whom rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for basic health care needs. In the nine states where the Hispanic population more than doubled between 2000 and 2010, all but one have seen significant activity to restrict access to reproductive health care. The restrictions include abstinence-only programs in schools, cuts or bans on state funding for family planning, and restrictions on abortion.

“During this intense legislative session, a lot of misinformation has been promoted about who we are and what we do,” said Destiny Lopez, director of Latino engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “One major overlooked fact in these debates has been the huge impact that state and federal legislation would have on Latinas.”

Elizabeth Barajas-Román, director of policy at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, added, “With the attacks on women’s health care in Congress and in the states, even more Latinas could be cut off from basic reproductive health care like birth control, cancer screenings, and other essential services.”

During negotiations over a final spending plan for the current fiscal year, House Republican leaders demanded that the Senate vote on a proposal to bar Planned Parenthood from providing preventive health services to patients who are covered by Medicaid and other federal programs. The Senate rejected that extreme proposal, but the final spending deal included cuts to several other vital programs for the Latino community, including the nation’s family planning program (Title X), the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, and community health centers.  And the attacks on the Federal level aren not over.  The Personal Responsibility Education Program, which last year designated $155 million in new funding for effective pregnancy prevention programs, is now under serious attack by the House of Representatives. The House will vote in May on whether to make this funding discretionary rather than mandatory, a step toward eliminating the funding altogether.

“Any federal threats to Planned Parenthood or to women’s health have a disproportionate impact on Latinas living in California, where, according to the 2010 census, 37 percent of our residents are Latino,” said Guadalupe Rodriguez, director of public affairs at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, with health centers serving 29 counties in mid-California. “Threats to Planned Parenthood at the federal level mean threats to our ability to provide vital primary and prenatal care to Latinas and their families via Medicaid.”

State legislatures across the country are considering bills to undermine Planned Parenthood and reduce family planning services for low-income women, and in some cases are moving these measures before budget and jobs bills.

“In our region of Texas, Planned Parenthood is the only source of care for many Latinas,” said Patricio Gonzales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County.  “If the Texas state legislature votes to defund Planned Parenthood, thousands of Latinas will lose access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings and other vital preventative care.  Our community already disproportionately suffers from poor health outcomes, and these cuts will further exacerbate the health problems our families face.”

Lillian Tamayo, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast said, “Our legislators should be working with Planned Parenthood to improve women’s health and to reduce unintended pregnancies.  We know Latino families in Florida are disproportionately affected by these attacks. We urge our elected officials to attack the budget instead of women. “

Planned Parenthood is committed to providing a safe space for compassionate, confidential, and culturally respectful care for Latino women, men and teens and works tirelessly to defend access to this care and the reproductive rights of the Latino community.

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