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New Investigation Details Devastating Impact of Texas Family Planning Cuts on Latinas in the Rio Grande Valley

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11.12.2013

Engaging Policymakers Abortion United States News

New Investigation Details Devastating Impact of Texas Family Planning Cuts on Latinas in the Rio Grande Valley

Justin Goldberg

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New Report Details Devastating Impact of Texas Family Planning Cuts on Latinas in Rio Grande Valley
Clinic closures, high costs and lack of transportation cause widespread human rights violations

(PRESS RELEASE) **Ver abajo para versión en español** Even before laws aimed at closing many Texas reproductive health care practices went into effect, deep budget cuts to family planning programs were already devastating women’s health care throughout the state—forcing health centers to close, exacerbating significant and costly barriers to essential reproductive health care, and hitting the state’s Latina community especially hard, according to a new human rights investigation released today.



The new report, Nuestra Voz, Nuestra Salud, Nuestro Texas: The Fight for Women’s Reproductive Health in the Rio Grande Valley, was led by the Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) and documents Texas’s recent policy decisions and the consequences for Latinas, their families, and entire communities. It shows the extent to which the fundamental human right to affordable health care is being denied to Latinas across the state.



While the health care landscape in Texas has been particularly dismal for women—and particularly Latinas, for far too long—the disparities widened significantly in the wake of 2011, when the Texas legislature slashed the state’s family planning budget by two-thirds and barred any health centers even affiliated with facilities that provide abortion services from receiving any family planning funding.



“This investigation reveals the human toll of years of reckless policies and laws enacted by Texas politicians who are hostile to women’s health and rights,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “As Americans, we might like to believe that basic human rights are guaranteed and protected equally for everyone living in the United States, these painful stories remind us that we cannot ignore the thousands of women who are suffering every day without access to essential health care. It’s time our leaders stop playing politics and start listening to the women whose health, families, and lives are threatened by these policies.”



In 2012, the Center and NLIRH conducted interviews and focus groups with 188 women living in four counties of the Valley (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy) who shared their personal stories and challenges in finding timely and affordable reproductive health care, including contraception, annual exams, Pap tests, and mammograms. Latinas reported going years without mammograms, despite feeling lumps in their breasts, as well as being unable to access Pap test results due to high costs—forcing them to go without proper medication or treatment for chronic health conditions.



These devastating impacts on immigrant women in the Valley are clear and widespread violations of women’s fundamental human rights, including their rights to life and health, non-discrimination and equality, autonomy and privacy in reproductive decision making, and freedom from ill treatment.



“Profound barriers to reproductive health, including cost, lack of transportation, immigration status and lack of accessible clinics, mean that Latinas in Texas are systemically barred from care they need to live with health and dignity,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. “These conditions are dangerous to the health of Latinas and immigrant women. Latinas are rising up in support of change, demanding policies that respect, protect and fulfill their human rights.”





 



Among the most significant barriers to essential preventive health services, the women interviewed reported:



•              Lack of accessible clinics: Nine of 32 family planning clinics in the Rio Grande Valley were forced to close due to funding cuts, leaving few—if any—remaining options for women to get contraception and a range of other services, from annual pap tests to mammograms. The remaining ones have forced to treat more patients with fewer funds, cutting back services, hours, and available contraceptive methods.



•              Significant cost to get care: Nearly all women consulted in this report live on incomes below the federal poverty level—in many cases, far below—and any extra health expenses too often force a choice between other essential needs, such as clothing, groceries, and child care. Latinas reported having received abnormal results from Pap tests and breast exams, but have yet to find the funds to afford the necessary follow-up care.



•              Barriers to transportation: As local family planning clinics have closed, more and more women have been forced to travel to clinics further away from their homes—at great financial cost to women and their families. Women without personal transportation options can require days and even weeks of preparation to take time off work, arrange for child care, and save money for things like gas or bus fare.



•              Fears due to immigration status: Women without authorized immigration status in the U.S. often fear traveling outside of their communities to access the health care for fear of encountering border patrol agents. And although health care is often more affordable in Mexico, many women avoid crossing the border to seek care for fear of not being able to return to their families in the U.S.



The high demand and short supply of low-cost reproductive health care has also led to severe delays in scheduling appointments, with typical wait times reported as exceeding several months. For many, this delay effectively amounts to a denial of care because the window of time they have to prevent or treat a health condition may close before they can access care.



“For immigrant women and Latinas in Texas so many factors make accessing the care they need incredibly difficult, and even more so now that family planning funds have been cut,” said Lucy Félix, a Rio Grande Valley organizer with NLIRH. “We’re training volunteers to go into their communities to educate, empower and organize our communities to protect their health and work for change, but too many women are still suffering. These misguided policies that prevent Latinas and immigrant women from living with health, dignity and justice must—and will—change now.”



Despite the responsibilities that the federal government and state of Texas share to respect, protect, and fulfill the basic human rights of women in the Valley—and to ensure they can exercise those rights on an equal basis with others—Texas has continued to implement policies that only further undermine women’s access to care and exacerbate health care disparities.



Today’s report lays a number of concrete steps federal and state officials—from the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress to President Obama’s Administration—can take to begin to address the very serious and immediate health care needs of immigrant women in the Valley. These include, among many others, calling for:



•              The Texas Legislature to expand access to health coverage, services, and information by increasing state funding for women’s preventive health services and repealing the 2011 policy barring qualified providers like Planned Parenthood from receiving funds through the Texas Women’s Health Program.



•              U.S. Congressional action to eliminate barriers to immigrants’ eligibility for federal health benefits under Medicaid, CHIP, and the Affordable Care Act, regardless of immigration status.



•              The Obama Administration to halt detention, deportation, and immigration enforcement practices that create a climate of intimidation and fear, thus deterring immigrant woman from seeking necessary care for themselves and their families.



  Investigación Reciente Detalla el Impacto Devastador de los Recortes de la Planificación Familiar en las Latinas del Valle del Rio Grande Cierre de clínicas, altos costos y falta de transporte provocan extensas violaciones a derechos humanos



12.11.2013 – (COMUNICADO DE PRENSA) Aún antes de que las leyes que tenían como propósito el cierre de los centros de salud reproductiva en Texas entraran en vigor, enormes recortes al presupuesto de los programas de planificación familiar ya socavaban la salud de la mujer en todo el estado—forzando el cierre de centros de salud,  exacerbando las barreras significativas y costosas para los servicios de salud reproductiva esenciales, y golpeando duramente en especial a la comunidad de Latinas, de acuerdo a una nueva investigación en derechos humanos publicada hoy.



El nuevo reporte “Nuestra Voz,  Nuestra Salud, Nuestro Texas: La lucha por la Salud Reproductiva de las Mujeres en el Valle de Rio Grande”, estuvo liderado por El Centro para los Derechos Reproductivos (CRR) y el Instituto Nacional de Latinas para la Salud Reproductiva (NLIRH), documenta las decisiones recientes en las políticas públicas de Texas y las consecuencias para las Latinas, sus familias y comunidades enteras. Este reporte demuestra hasta donde  el derecho humano fundamental a los servicios de salud asequible, ha sido negado a las Latinas en todo el estado.



Mientras el panorama de salud en Texas ha sido deplorable para las mujeres—especialmente para las Latinas, por mucho tiempo—las disparidades se ampliaron de manera significativa a principios del año 2011, cuando la legislatura estatal de Texas recortó drásticamente el presupuesto de los programas de planificación familiar en dos tercios, y prohibió que los centros de salud, aún los afiliados con lugares que proporcionaban servicios de aborto, recibieran cualquier financiamiento de planificación familiar.



“Esta investigación revela el daño acumulado después de años de malas políticas y leyes puestas en vigor por los políticos de Texas que no apoyan los derechos y la salud de las mujeres”, dijo Nancy Northup, presidente y CEO del Centro para los Derechos Reproductivos. “En EE.UU. nos gusta creer que los derechos humanos básicos están protegidos y garantizados equitativamente para todos los habitantes de la nación, estas dolorosas historias nos recuerdan que no podemos ignorar a miles de mujeres que sufren cada día por la falta de acceso a los servicios básicos de salud. Es tiempo de que nuestros líderes dejen de hacer politiquería y empiecen a escuchar a las mujeres cuya salud, familias, y vidas están siendo amenazadas por estas políticas”.



En el año 2012, el Centro y el NLIRH realizaron entrevistas y grupos focales de 188 mujeres viviendo en cuatro condados del Valle (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr y Willacy) que compartieron sus historias y retos personales al momento de buscar servicios de salud reproductiva oportuno y asequible, incluyendo anticonceptivos, exámenes de Papanicolaou y mamografías. Las Latinas dijeron no haberse realizado mamografías en años, a pesar de percibir abultamientos en sus mamas, así como no poder acceder a los exámenes de Papanicolaou debido a los elevados costos—obligándolas  a continuar sin los medicamentos o tratamientos adecuados para sus condiciones crónicas de salud.



El impacto devastador en la salud reproductiva de las mujeres del Valle es una clara y generalizada violación a los derechos humanos fundamentales de las mujeres, incluyendo su derecho a la vida, la no discriminación y la igualdad, la autonomía y privacidad al tomar decisiones, y a la libertad de malos tratos.



“Enormes barreras a la salud reproductiva, incluyendo el costo económico, la falta de transporte, el estatus migratorio y  la falta de clínicas accesibles, significa que a las latinas de Texas se les están negando los servicios que necesitan para vivir con salud y dignidad”, dijo Jessica González-Rojas, directora ejecutiva del Instituto Nacional de Latinas para la Salud Reproductiva. “Estas condiciones son peligrosas para la salud de las Latinas y las mujeres inmigrantes. Las Latinas están levantándose en apoyo al cambio, exigiendo políticas que respeten, protejan y cumplan sus derechos humanos”.



Entre las barreras más significativas que existen para acceder a los servicios de salud preventiva básica, las mujeres entrevistadas reportaron:



•              Falta de clínicas accesibles: Nueve de las 32 clínicas de planificación familiar en el Valle del Río Grande fueron obligadas a cerrar durante los recortes, dejando pocas—o prácticamente ninguna—opción para que las mujeres obtengan métodos anticonceptivos y otros servicios que van desde los exámenes anuales de Papanicolaou  hasta las mamografías. Las clínicas restantes se han visto forzadas a atender a más pacientes con menos fondos, recortando las horas de servicio y los métodos anticonceptivos disponibles.



•              Costos significativos por los servicios: Casi la mayoría de las mujeres entrevistadas en este reporte viven con un ingreso menor al nivel federal de la línea de pobreza. En muchos casos, muy por debajo, y cualquier gasto extra de salud frecuentemente las obliga a elegir entre otras necesidades esenciales, como vestido, alimentos y guarderías. Las Latinas reportaron haber recibido resultados anormales en sus pruebas de Papanicolaou y exámenes de senos, pero no han tenido dinero para dar seguimiento a esos resultados.



•              Barreras de transporte: Al cerrarse las clínicas locales de planificación familiar, más y más mujeres se han visto forzadas a viajar a otros lugares lejos de su hogar a un costo muy elevado para ellas y sus familias. Las mujeres sin medios de transporte personales requieren días o incluso semanas de preparación para acudir a las clínicas, lo que implica solicitar permiso de ausencia en su empleo, servicio de guardería y ahorro de dinero para la gasolina o el boleto del autobús.



•              Miedo debido al estatus migratorio: Las mujeres sin un estatus migratorio autorizado en los EE.UU., con frecuencia tienen miedo de viajar fuera de sus comunidades para acceder a los servicios de salud por el temor de enfrentarse a la patrulla fronteriza. Y a pesar de que los servicios de salud son más económicos en México, muchas mujeres evitan cruzar la frontera por miedo a no poder regresar con sus familias en los EE.UU.



La alta demanda y la limitada oferta los servicios de salud reproductiva a bajo costo, ha provocado retraso en la programación de citas, con un tiempo de espera de varios meses. Para muchas personas, este retraso prácticamente se convierte en una negación del servicio debido a que el tiempo para tratar su condición de salud se agotará antes de que puedan acceder a los servicios de salud.



“Para las mujeres inmigrantes y las Latinas en Texas, hay muchos factores que hacen el acceso a la salud increíblemente difícil y más ahora que los fondos para los programas de planificación familiar han sido recortados,” afirma Lucy Félix, una organizadora del NLIRH del Valle del Rio Grande “. Estamos capacitando voluntarios para educar, apoyar y organizar sus comunidades y proteger su salud y trabajar por un cambio, pero todavía hay muchas mujeres sufriendo. Estas políticas equivocadas que impiden que las Latinas y las mujeres inmigrantes vivan con salud, dignidad y justicia deben y van a cambiar ahora”.



A pesar de la responsabilidad que el gobierno federal y el estado de Texas comparten en respetar, proteger y reconocer los derechos humanos de la mujer en el Valle, y de asegurar que se ejerzan esos derechos de forma equitativa—Texas ha seguido implementado políticas que sólo ocasionan un mayor detrimento en el acceso de las mujeres a los servicios de salud y han exacerbado las disparidades de salud.



El reporte de hoy determina pasos concretos para que autoridades federales y estatales—desde  la legislatura estatal de Texas, el Congreso de los EE.UU. y la Administración del Presidente Obama—puedan poner en práctica para empezar a resolver las serias e inmediatas necesidades de salud de las  mujeres inmigrantes en el Valle. Estos incluyen, entre muchos otros un llamado para:



•              La legislatura de Texas para expandir el acceso a la cobertura y los servicios de salud e información a través de un incremento a los fondos estatales para el cuidado preventivo de la salud de las mujeres y derogar la política del año 2011 que prohíbe a los proveedores calificados como Planned Parenthood, recibir fondos del Programa de Salud de la Mujer de Texas.



•              Acción del Congreso de los EE.UU. para eliminar las barreras y que los inmigrantes puedan calificar para obtener los beneficios de salud federales bajo los programas Medicaid, CHIP (el Programa de Salud para la Niñez) y la Ley de Atención en Salud Asequible o ACA (Affordable Care Act) sin importar el estatus migratorio.



•              A la Administración Obama para acabar con la detención, deportación y la implementación de prácticas de inmigración que crean un clima intimidatorio y de miedo, que impiden que las mujeres busquen el cuidado de salud necesario para ellas y sus familias.


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