In Governor Justice’s state of the state address on Jan. 11, 2023, he said he wanted to give $1 million to crisis pregnancy centers in WV (OK, he actually said “child pregnancy centers”, but he really did misspeak). Crisis pregnancy centers are not medical facilities, and they are completely unregulated. They don’t even have to respect your medical privacy (the thrust of HIPPA).
In contrast, DHHR has Family Planning Centers which are regulated:
Would my visit at a WV Family Planning Program clinic really be confidential?
| Yes. Federal Title X regulations require clinics to assure patient confidentiality and to provide safeguards against invasion of personal privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974. No information about you can be given to anyone without your written consent. This means that if someone calls the clinic asking if you had been seen there, clinic staff are not permitted to reveal any information at all. |
That said, certain parts of the state don’t have any Family Planning Program clinics nearby. Two counties don’t have a single center. These centers provide cancer screenings, birth control (free if you qualify), advice on family planning, pregnancy tests, etc.
Additionally, WV has an Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. And yet, these programs are not well funded, or well advertised. Clearly the $1 million could be better spent.
Hampshire County Democrats 