President Trump signed legislation on April 13 that aims to cut off federal funding from Planned Parenthood and other companies that provide abortions.

According to The New York Times, President Trump supports some of Planned Parenthood’s health-related services, despite the cut in funding.

“As a middle ground, Mr. Trump has proposed preserving federal funding for Planned Parenthood if it stops providing abortion services,” stated The Times.

Government funding for abortion is already prohibited.

Samantha Moore / art director

According to the Hyde Amendment of 1976, abortion is excluded from health care services provided to low-income people by the federal government through Medicaid, except through cases of rape, incest or life threatening

conditions.

Communications Manager of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Molly Cowan said Planned Parenthood’s patients who are in need suffer the consequences when elected officials play politics with funding for critical health services.

“Unexpected and arbitrary funding losses result in reductions in patient access whether through reduced hours, hiring freezes or other measures, which prevent us from fully meeting the need in our communities,” she said.

A KSC student, who wished to remain anonymous, doesn’t know where she’d be without Planned Parenthood.

The student was a victim of date rape in the summer of 2016.

She felt like she couldn’t tell her parents and she did not want to take legal action because then her name would be free to use everywhere.

“I couldn’t call ghost busters,” she said. She did not know what to do.

She decided to call Keene’s Planned Parenthood, located on 8 Middle Street.

Planned Parenthood was busy that day, but after informing them of her situation, Planned Parenthood fit her in that day.

She arrived for her appointment, received a morning after pill and a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) test.

She consulted with nurses afterwards. “They knew the right questions to ask and they had all the answers,” she said. “I had many [questions].”

Planned Parenthood scheduled follow-up appointments for her and provided counseling about legal action and support groups once the appointment was completed.

She said they got the morning after pill, the STI test and the counseling for free.

According to Planned Parenthood’s website, people without insurance or those who decline to go through insurance, pay on a sliding scale based on their income.

She was a student and students get health services for free.

According to Rite Aid’s website, Plan B, a common over-the-counter emergency contraceptive, costs around $50 at their stores.

“If [Planned Parenthood] wasn’t there, where would’ve I gone?” she said.

“It feels really safe there. It felt like they dealt with my situation a lot.”

At the KSC’s Center for Health and Wellness, students have options when it comes to reproductive health.

According to KSC’s website, the center offers birth control medication, STI screening, emergency contraception and women’s health exams.

The center also offers many other services that one would be able to receive at a hospital.

Nurse Practitioner and Assistant Director of The Center for Health and Wellness Deb Coltey said any student is welcome at the center.

KSC’s tuition includes a student health fee, which allows them to visit without having to make a co-pay.

The drugs, however, do cost money. According to Coltey, birth control pills cost $12-$15 for a month’s cycle and $14 for Plan B.

Coltey said the center also writes prescriptions.

If a student knows their co-pay is lower than the cost of the pill at the center, they are allowed to take their script and get it filled at a local pharmacy.

The center does not provide abortion services and does not do Intra-Uterine Device (IUD) implants.

Alex Fleming can be contacted at afleming@kscequinox.com