Mothers Deserve Health Care That Empowers Us To Control Our Own Bodies

By: Morgan Cousins

This Mother’s Day, we moms deserve what’s rightfully ours — high-quality sexual and reproductive care that empowers us to control our own bodies.

I’m thrilled that the Biden-Harris administration has vowed to rescind the harmful Title X gag rule, creating a pathway for community health care providers like Planned Parenthood of Greater New York to re-enter the program. I know how important it is to be able to access affordable reproductive care when you need it.

I benefited from Title X services as a pregnant person who needed prenatal care from my midwife. An empowered home birth was my right to choose, and all pregnant people should have the right to choose the birthing experience and health care that is right for them and their families.

Title X grants also fund services like birth control, contraceptive counseling, STI treatment, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and more. Because of centuries of systemic racism and inequities, Black, Latina/o/x, and Indigenous people and people with low incomes have always faced unacceptable barriers to essential health care. While we are making great strides toward equity, there is still a long way to go. Title X is part of the solution.

Trump’s 2019 gag rule forced Planned Parenthood out of the Title X program. Many patients who were uninsured and couldn’t afford health care were forced to find new providers and others were left with nowhere to turn for care at all.

We MUST dismantle the Title X gag rule for good — and your voice can make a difference. Click here to tell the Biden-Harris administration to swiftly end the Title X gag rule.

As a mother of an incredible 12-year-old, I’m fighting for all people to have access to the reproductive health care, education, and resources they deserve.

Morgan Cousins is a culture worker who lives in Brooklyn and advocates for reproductive freedom.