It's about time we got a bit of good news — and this one is a big deal.

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) put an end to the harmful Title X gag rule, giving Planned Parenthood health centers an opportunity to come back into the nation's only dedicated family planning program. The Biden administration will restore access to health care for patients with low incomes who rely on trusted providers like Planned Parenthood.

Title X is the only federal program dedicated to providing affordable birth control and other reproductive health care to people who struggle to make ends meet. It's one of the most powerful tools we have to ensure everyone has access to essential care like birth control, HIV testing, breast cancer screenings, and more.

Title X is a critical part of our social safety net — and especially important for communities that face the biggest barriers to health care access. For far too many people systemic racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other inequities block access to care. For decades, Title X had been a lifeline for many Black, Latino, Indigenous and other communities of color as well as LGBTQ+ people, and people in rural areas.

Then in 2019, the Trump administration imposed a gag rule designed to cut off Title X patients from the health care providers they trust. The rule banned providers who refer pregnant patients for safe, legal abortion — from Title X. That meant that patients in the program could no longer come to Planned Parenthood health centers for birth control, preventive care visits, or other essential care.

In many communities, Planned Parenthood is the only source of sexual and reproductive health care available. Patients blocked from Planned Parenthood are forced to go without care. That's the damage done by Trump's gag rule.

We applaud President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the Department of Health and Human Services for reversing this harmful rule. At a time when access to sexual and reproductive health care is under attack, their leadership will offer critical protections for patients and providers.

While this action is a big step in the right direction, there is still more work to be done to provide everyone with access to comprehensive reproductive care. Under the new rule, some providers can still use personal or religious beliefs to justify their refusal to counsel or refer patients seeking abortion. Nobody — whether it's a hostile presidential administration or an individual doctor — should be allowed to deny patients who rely on Title X from getting the care they need.

We celebrate this important progress, and redouble our commitment to protect access to care. We are so grateful to medical providers, grassroots organizers, and the countless supporters like you who spoke out against the Trump administration's gag rule. It's the kind of bold advocacy and courageous action we need to protect and access to care.

As we celebrate this victory, we know there is much more work to be done — to reverse the harm of the Trump administration, ensure equity in health care, and expand access to sexual and reproductive care.

Today's news shows that we can make real, meaningful progress when we stick together. Thank you for being a part of that.

Planned Parenthood