Sex-Linked Diseases

You are to be commended for an excellent article on the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (Part I, Sept. 26). Your material was a well-presented combination of alarming statistics and vivid pictures of human suffering.

We at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles are concerned, however, that nowhere in the article was there a mention of one of the most important factors exacerbating this crisis--namely, the governor’s two-thirds cut in funding for family planning clinics. Family planning clinics, including nine Planned Parenthood clinics in Los Angeles, are reeling from these cuts. We, among others, are on the “front line” of a war to contain and decrease the serious consequences and human misery resulting from undetected and untreated sexually transmitted diseases and undetected and untreated early cancer.

More than 150,000 low-income and minority women and men in Los Angeles rely on family planning clinics for screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal care, contraception, cancer screening, mid-life services and other primary and preventive health services. We are often the only health care provider these people ever see.

It doesn’t take a math expert to figure out how many fewer patients will be seen with two-thirds less funding. It has been estimated there will be an additional 16,000 unintended pregnancies in the next year in Los Angeles County because of these cuts. More than half of these will end in abortion; abortions which could have been prevented if we had adequately funded programs for young women and young men stressing education, counseling and preventive contraceptive services.

We are facing a nightmare in this city. Many thousands of teen-agers become pregnant each year and 80% never finish high school. Eleven percent of newborns are drug addicted. The costs in human misery and lost opportunities are tragic to contemplate. The costs to taxpayers for future health and social services will be staggering.

So while I agree with the author of the article that a large part of the problem is the upsurge in cocaine use and increase in poverty, the loss of tax dollars for family planning services is a major contributing factor. All of us must work to see the State Office of Family Planning funds restored.

JOAN GRIGGS BABBOTT, M.D.

Executive Director

Planned Parenthood