The House of Representatives will vote this week on continuing resolutions that could end funding for the Title X programs and eliminate all Title X Funding going to Planned Parenthood.

Despite the beliefs of their supporters, these resolutions will NOT reduce abortions. In fact, if they pass, abortion rates will surely increase. In addition, vital preventive health services will be cut.

Here are the lies you may have heard about Title X and Planned Parenthood, and the truth you need to know -

Lie #1 : Title X Funding pays for abortion –  FALSE.

It does not, because, by law, it cannot. Here’s what Title X funded for in 2009, straight from the the HHS Website:

• Contraceptive services for over 5 million family planning users;
• Over 2 million pap smears, 1% of which had precancerous abnormalities that required treatment;
• Over 2 million clinical breast exams, 3% of which were abnormal and led to further evaluation or treatment;
• Over 2 million STD screening tests; and
• Almost 1 million HIV tests

The majority of Title X funded clinics serve clients with incomes at or below the poverty line, and who have no other funding source for these services. In some states, Planned Parenthood is the only provider of Title X services.

Lie #2 – Planned Parenthood’s Major Business is Abortion - FALSE.

Ninety seven percent of Planned Parenthood’ services are contraception, cancer screening and STD screening and treatment.  Only 3% of the almost 11 million services provided in 2008 were abortions. (Click the pie chart below for detail.)

Lie #3: We can’t afford Title X funding - FALSE.

We can’t afford not to pay for these preventive health services, all of which have been shown to be a cost effective use of federal funds. According to the Guttmacher Institute -

The contraceptive services provided at (Title-X funded) centers helped women and couples avoid 973,000 unintended pregnancies, which would have resulted in 433,000 unplanned births and 406,000 abortions.

By helping women avoid unintended pregnancies, Title X–supported family planning centers saved taxpayers $3.4 billion in 2008—or $3.74 for every $1 spent on contraceptive care.

Lie #4 . Taking Title X funds away from Planned Parenthood will prevent abortion – FALSE.

Loss of funding for contraception means more unplanned pregnancies, which means more abortions.  Without restating the above argument, I’ll state the obvious -

If you want to prevent abortion, you’ll contact your representative and tell him/her to vote against any attempt to eliminate Title X funding.

Take action now.  The threat to funding is real, and the need is urgent.