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IPFS News Link • Family

Former surgeon general ‘could vomit’ from all the ‘vaginal politics’

• Eric W. Dolan via The Raw Story
 

During an interview on Monday, the first African-American U.S. surgeon general defended the reproductive health center Planned Parenthood and federal Title X funds, both of which have recently come under attack from social conservatives.

"Reproductive rights are just an extension of every other kind of justice and right there is," Dr. Joycelyn Elders told The Root's Cynthia Gordy. The 77-year-old retired professor emeritus of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Arkansas said she's so tired of lawmakers "playing vaginal politics" that she could "just vomit."

Republicans pushed hard for a budget amendment to block Planned Parenthood from receiving federal Title X funds, which by law are to be used for non-abortion services such as cancer screenings, pap tests, and breast exams. Although the GOP failed to cut Title X, they were able to block Washington, D.C.from using any local money to help women access abortions.

Elders said without Title X funding, the United States would have many more poor women with children to support. Additionally, poor women would have less access to STD testing, pelvic exams, cervical-cancer screenings, breast exams, and testing for diabetes.


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