Democrats, health leaders protest potential loss of women’s health service funds (The Daily Record)

Tuesday Jul 24th, 2018

Maryland’s congressional delegation and Baltimore City officials denounced Monday a proposed federal rule that they say could restrict access to women’s health and reverse work made to improve health outcomes, especially for poor women.

The officials worried that the rule could turn back significant gains made in reducing unintended teen pregnancy, infant mortality rates and the disparities between health outcomes for women of color and white women.

Services offered through the Title X program in Maryland prevented 15,000 unintended pregnancies, 1,490 preterm or low birth-weight births, and 1,018 sexually transmitted infections in 2014.

The Baltimore City Health Department distributes about $1.4 million to 23 sites that served more than 17,000 patients in 2016.

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