Fund preventative care

Letters to the Editor

The newly elected leaders in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Kristi Noem, have launched the most devastating legislative assault on preventative health care in American history. Just over a week ago they voted to eliminate the national family program called Title X, which has provided millions of people with preventive care since 1970.

At a time when more and more young people cannot afford health care due to increasing costs and a struggling economy, the House leadership voted to completely gut the programs that provide preventive care, including birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) to millions of people. These cuts will directly affect the family planning clinic on campus and 14 other Title X-supported clinics in South Dakota.

If they really cared about saving money, they would know that family planning programs like Title X are fiscally sound. For every public dollar invested in family planning, taxpayers save nearly $4. Yet, 240 members of Congress don’t seem to care.

This is not just a women’s issue. All students need to be aware of this attack on prevention, under the guise of “budget cuts.” Being able to remain STI and baby-free requires responsibility of all parties involved.

We need to send a message to the extreme House leadership to get back to what they promised to do 8212; create jobs and fix the American economy. I urge Senators Johnson and Thune to reject this assault on prevention and restore Title X funding to South Dakota.

 

Michael VanBemmel

Senior

Computer Science