AFHP: Gov. Ducey Shows 'Lack Of Concern' For Patient Privacy

Press release from AFHP:

July 8, 2021

By signing the budget that included funding for an unnecessary program with services already provided by no less than seven existing programs, Governor Doug Ducey showed a lack of concern for patient privacy, fact-based medically accurate services and the appropriate spending of $3 million in taxpayer dollars.

“We are deeply disappointed that Governor Ducey signed a budget that will spend $3 million over two years for the obvious special-interest driven Family Health Pilot program that pays little heed to privacy concerns or evidence-based best practices used effectively and efficiently by already-operating programs,” the Arizona Family Health Partnership (AFHP) said in a statement.

The statement continues:

Funds from the budget won’t improve, enhance or expand the good being done, but will use taxpayer dollars for additional operating and administrative costs without financial accountability or fact-or-medical based direction.

Those dollars certainly would have been better spent on programs benefiting women like Medicaid expansion for 12 months postpartum or dental care for pregnant women. Arizona Health Start, with similar services that don’t include geo-tracking through which private information can be collected about citizens’ lives, also could have benefitted from extra funding.

The American public supports every woman’s right to receive quality, medically accurate care when she’s pregnant or thinks she might be. Arizonans are already better served through existing programs offering information and resources that allow informed decisions leading to fewer unplanned pregnancies, fewer sexually transmitted infections and healthier lives.

By signing the budget with this funding, Governor Ducey is sending a very troubling message about his lack of concern for privacy, medically-accurate services and ultimately wasting $3 million in taxpayer dollars.

Arizona Family Health Partnership is the state’s designated Title X agency, helping to coordinate access to confidential low-cost or no-cost evidence-based reproductive and sexual healthcare for all Arizonans, especially for low-income, uninsured or underinsured individuals and youth representing every community and demographic. More than 50 network health centers in 11 Arizona counties and in Southern Utah are supported by Title X funding.

The federal Title X Family Planning Program was created in 1970 to provide comprehensive and confidential services including a broad range of contraceptive methods; health screenings for sexually transmitted infections; pregnancy testing, counseling and resources; pelvic exams including Pap smears; breast exams; basic infertility screening; and emergency contraception.

All medical personnel are trained by AFHP to provide non-judgmental care and to discuss reproductive lifespan plans and sexual education, when needed, in their visits.

AFHP also owns and manages the website www.SexFYI.org, which provides unbiased information about contraceptive options in both English and Spanish.

This press release was produced by AFHP. The views expressed here are the author's own.