Planned Parenthood offices across the country are facing severe funding cuts after the passage of President Trump’s spending bill. In the Inland Empire, those cuts could mean that thousands of people could go untested for treatable STIs.
President Trump’s spending bill excludes Planned Parenthood from Medicaid reimbursement because it provides abortion care. In June, a federal judge issued a temporary order that allows Planned Parenthood to still receive Medicaid reimbursements. When the injunction is lifted, Planned Parenthood will again be barred from taking Medicaid reimbursement.
Dr. Janet Jacobson, the medical director for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino counties (PPOSBC), said local Planned Parenthoods stayed open between the federal cuts and the judge’s injunction.
“What we were doing before the injunction is not sustainable for us for a long period of time,” she said.
If the injunction is overturned, Jacobson said they would have to cut some services — like opt-out STI tests for syphilis and trichomoniasis.
In 2021, PPOSBC introduced opt-out syphilis testing, in which all their patients were offered STI testing as part of routine appointments. PPOSBC was able to catch early cases of syphilis and prevent babies being born with congenital syphilis, which can cause serious medical problems.
PPOSBC added trichomoniasis last November due to the success of the syphilis program. Providers were able to diagnose cases of trichomoniasis early in pregnant women that otherwise wouldn’t have been caught. When trichomoniasis isn’t caught in pregnant women, it can increase the risk of premature labor, low birth rates and babies being born with the infection.
trichomoniasis early in pregnant women that would have otherwise gone undetected. Trichomoniasis, when not caught in pregnant women, can increase the risk of premature labor and low birth weight babies, as well as the babies being born with the infection. Jacobson said more than 100,000 people could go untested if Planned Parenthood loses its funding.
“Cervical cancer screening, STI testing and treatment, birth control — which is the majority of our practice — and the impact on our communities would be very profound,” Jacobson said. “Most of our patients don't have anywhere else to go,” said Jacobson.
She said patients that can no longer rely on Planned Parenthood might not get the care they need. She said the impacts could affect local emergency departments and other providers that don’t have the resources to absorb all Planned Parenthood’s patients.