Reproductive Health and Rights: Growing Disparities Between States

Giving Compass’ Take:

• The Population Institute released research that indicates that the United States has poor reproductive healthcare, but it varies dramatically between states. 

• How can philanthropy help to close the gaps? 

• Learn what president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America has to say about fighting for reproductive rights.

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The Population Institute released its sixth annual report card on reproductive health and rights in the U.S on February 15th. The results were alarming, showing declining overall reproductive health and rights and growing disparities between states after the first year of Trump policies.

For 2017, the overall U.S. grade fell from a “D” to a “D-.” 18 states got a failing grade.

These findings reflect sharp differences in the way states handle family planning and reproductive health programs, as well as stepped up attacks on those programs by the Trump administration.

The Trump budget proposal unveiled this week signals worse attacks to come. It would eliminate the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, invest in ineffective abstinence-only education programs, and block patients from seeing their preferred health care provider, Planned Parenthood.

The good news: Twenty-two states received a B- or higher in 2017. Eleven states received an “A” in 2017, up from five the year before. The improved showing was largely attributable to state declines in the rate of teenage pregnancy.

But the bad news highlights growing national disparity: 27 states received a “D” or lower. 18 of those states received a failing grade (“F”).

Read the full article on reproductive health and rights at My Social Good News.