States in 2007 have budgeted about $13 million in public funds to subsidize family planning services and pregnancy centers in an attempt to dissuade women from seeking abortions, the Los Angeles Times reports.
According to the Times, at least eight states use funds to finance programs "explicitly designed to steer women away from abortion." Grants to such programs often prohibit counselors from referring women to any clinic that provides abortion services, the Times reports. In some cases, the grants ban counselors from discussing contraception. Some antiabortion advocates have said that the funding is both "practical and symbolic" and that it is a "way of putting the state's stamp of approval on their work," according to the Times. Some abortion-rights supporters have said more abortions would be prevented if state funding was increased to expand access to birth control. In addition, they have said the emphasis on abortion alternatives diverts funds from basic health care.
Texas Program