April 4, 2019 – Bristol, Tennessee – We applaud the newly issued announcement of the reformed Title X rule released by the Department of Health & Human Services which expands care to patients by offering an increase in comprehensive care locations and services provided. Unlike circulating false statements have claimed, low-income patients & adolescent family planning needs will remain covered while supporting the moral compass of America by physically and financially separating abortion and preventative healthcare services. By removing the previous administration's abortion referral mandate, the new rule opens the door to new nonprofit partners, creating the potential for greatly expanded numbers of grantee candidates. By giving the government more qualified applicants from which to choose, this increased competition for grant partnerships promises to translate into increased quality of care for patients.

According to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Diane Foley, “services must be voluntary and free from coercion and programs may not discriminate in the provision of services for religion, race, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, number of pregnancies, or marital status.” No “gag rule” is present in this Act, and practitioners are allowed to provide non-directive abortion counseling. Advanced Practice Nurses are not required or prohibited from discussing abortion.

By utilizing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Registered Nurses in Title X facilities, a positive community impact is created by offering preventative healthcare services, possible educational sites, and employment opportunities. In addition to respecting the constitutional religious freedoms of healthcare professionals, the new rule also protects women & children because it requires clinicians to report suspected cases of abuse such as human trafficking, child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, rape, incest or intimate partner violence.

So, as as patient, what services could I receive from Title X?

• Counseling of adolescents to delay the onset of sexual activity
• Instruction in fertility awareness-based methods
• Medically approved barrier and hormonal contraceptive methods including long-acting reversible contraceptives
• Referral for permanent sterility procedures
• Pregnancy testing and counseling
• Basic infertility services
• STD prevention, screening, and treatment including HIV testing and referral
• Screening for substance use disorders
• Clinical breast exam and referral for abnormal results
• Cervical cancer screening (Pap test)
• HPV vaccination
• Provision of pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis (PrEP)

What types of services does Title X not fund?

• Abortions
• Preventative health services not related to family planning

The Coalition of Christian Nurse Practitioners is a Specialty Selection of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.