美国国家公共电台 NPR--It's been more than 50 years since Congress created a federal family planning program

It's been more than 50 years since Congress created a federal family planning program

Transcript¹

Title X, the federal family planning program, was created in 1970. Advocates say it has always been underfunded, and that restrictions² on abortion³ access means money is needed now more than ever.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Many Americans get health care like contraceptives and cervical cancer screenings with the help of federal funds. The money comes thanks to a law passed by Congress more than 50 years ago known as Title X. It is not money for abortion, but it's increasingly caught up in the politics of abortion. Here's Ben Paviour from member station VPM.

BEN PAVIOUR, BYLINE⁴: Rhea Beddoe hadn't been expecting the call from her doctor's office. She'd been laid off from her job and had other worries. But the doctor said this was important. She'd had a procedure to remove pre-cancerous cells and now needed a follow-up appointment. She asked how much it would cost without insurance.

RHEA BEDDOE: And they said, oh, a visit would be $300. And I definitely did not have 300 extra dollars laying around.

PAVIOUR: Her local Planned Parenthood in New York was less expensive, so Beddoe went there instead. She got a pap smear⁵ that showed no signs of cancer.

BEDDOE: It was such a relief that I was able to get that care that I needed when I was uninsured and unemployed⁶.

PAVIOUR: The pap smear cost less because it was funded by Title X, a federal program designed to help those who are financially strapped⁷. Title X-funded clinics are often a first stop for reproductive health care for people like Beddoe.

BEDDOE: I continue to get services from Planned Parenthood for my regular checkups, for birth control.

PAVIOUR: Those Title X services aren't available everywhere. Congress hasn't increased funding in nearly a decade, and more health care providers are now competing for a share of that money. Some lose out. This year, clinics in California, Nevada and Virginia scaled back services. Claire Coleman heads the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, which advocates on behalf of Title X-funded providers.

CLARE COLEMAN: We still have the problem that we've never had enough resources to be able to meet need.

PAVIOUR: When the program was created in 1970, it had bipartisan support. But over the years, the debate over abortion has made it more difficult for Congress to agree on more funding. And then in 2019, the Trump⁸ administration banned Title X providers from providing or referring patients for abortion. In response, around 25% of clinics decided⁹ to withdraw from Title X or stopped getting funding. Coleman says there was an immediate¹⁰ impact.

COLEMAN: Then the number of people being served in a Title X-funded setting just dropped like a stone.

PAVIOUR: Trump's rules were popular among anti-abortion activists¹¹. Olivia Gans Turner heads American Victims of Abortion.

OLIVIA GANS TURNER: What we wanted to prevent was the funding of organizations or programs that were also promoting or practicing abortion.

PAVIOUR: Title X doesn't actually fund abortions¹², but Turner believes groups that offer abortion services shouldn't get any federal money, even if it's intended to pay for other types of care, like birth control.

GANS TURNER: You could say, well, one doesn't go to the other, except that if I give you the money to pay the rent, you've got a lot more money to go to the movies this week, don't you?

PAVIOUR: The Biden administration disagreed and rolled back Trump's rules last year. Then came June's Supreme¹³ Court verdict. With restrictions on abortion access, Coleman thinks demand for birth control could increase. That's another reason advocates say Title X needs more funding now. Coleman also believes the right to contraception itself is at risk. Justice Clarence Thomas said in his opinion the court should reconsider its past rulings related to birth control. Coleman says it's worth taking him seriously.

COLEMAN: We need to stop questioning whether or not this is possible. This is clearly possible.

PAVIOUR: Sensing the urgency, some Democrats¹⁴ in Congress have proposed sharp increases in funding for Title X. But Coleman says, given Republican opposition¹⁵, it's going to be a fight.

For NPR News, I'm Ben Paviour in Richmond, Va.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

6 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

7 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

13 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

14 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。