Ten cheers for Title X

When Donald Trump first talked about making changes to Title X, the national family planning program that provides affordable birth control and reproductive health care to people with low incomes, it really made me feel uneasy.

You see, I was raised in a conservative community, at least for Western Washington. When I was 16, I had been with my boyfriend for a few months, and I felt I was ready to start having sex. When making this choice, I knew I wanted to be safe and ensure I was taking the right steps to get on birth control. My parents had health insurance, but asking them didn't feel like an option.

Through Title X, I went to Planned Parenthood because they were able to grant me access to birth control without having to pay out of pocket or use my parent's insurance. If Planned Parenthood hadn't been there, I may have put myself at risk for something I wasn't ready to handle. It wasn't going to change my decision, but it may have changed the outcome.

Their care and motivation to educate the public about reproductive health is incredibly important, and I am grateful their doors were open for me - a teenager who was going to have sex but didn't have anyone to talk to about it.

Thanks to Planned Parenthood and being able to access Title X funding I was able to get the birth control I needed from a doctor I trusted.

Marissa Casella

Naperville