SHS commits to providing inclusive health care amid Trump’s executive orders – Daily Free Press

Student Health Services’ Commitment to Gender-Affirming Care and Reproductive Health Services

Student Health Services emphasized its commitment to providing gender-affirming care, sexual and reproductive health services, and mental health services in response to recent executive orders by President Donald Trump. 

Executive Orders by President Donald Trump

1. Executive Order on Gender Ideology: Trump signed an executive order on January 20, which bans promoting “gender ideology,” defines “female” and “male” as a person belonging to their sex at conception, and redefines sex as strictly binary.
2. Executive Order on Abortion: On January 25, Trump also signed an executive order banning foreign aid workers from offering information about abortion and strengthening an existing domestic policy that bans federal funding for abortion.

Commitment to Inclusive and Culturally Sensitive Healthcare

• Student Health Services (SHS) recognizes that the recent signing of Executive Orders is deeply distressing for many BU students.
• SHS reiterates its continued commitment to providing high-quality health services that are inclusive and culturally sensitive to the identities, needs, and experiences of all BU students, including transgender and non-binary students.

Supporting Students’ Healthcare Needs

Behavioral Health Referral Coordinator and Co-chair for SHS’s Gender Affirming Healthcare Committee Jill Nuding wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that SHS will continue to provide students the care and support they need. 

Nuding wrote that all SHS departments, including the GAH committee, will work with student healthcare providers and other departments on campus to ensure students have the resources needed to support students.

Concerns and Hopes for Continued Healthcare Services

Oluwatofe Akinyanmi, a member of BU’s Center for Gender, Sexuality, and Activism, expressed feeling “helpless” seeing Trump’s recent executive orders, especially considering BU is “largely funded by federal funding.”

Freshman Afia Asamoah, a senior co-editing intern at Her Campus BU, hopes BU will continue to provide reproductive healthcare services despite Trump’s executive orders.

SHS’s Firm Commitment to Inclusive Healthcare

While the impacts of the Trump administration’s policies on BU are unclear, Nuding reiterated SHS’s commitment to inclusive healthcare.

“Although there are many unknowns of what specific impact the Trump administration’s policies will have on BU, SHS stands firm on its commitment to providing healthcare that is inclusive to the identities, needs, and experiences of all BU students, including transgender and non-binary students,” Nuding wrote. “SHS believes gender-affirming care is needed, lifesaving care.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • Indicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease.
   • Indicator 3.4.2: Suicide mortality rate.

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
   • Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.
   • Indicator 5.1.1: Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce, and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex.
   • Indicator 5.6.1: Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use, and reproductive health care.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard.
   • Indicator 10.3.1: Proportion of population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 5: Gender Equality, and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.
• Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease.
• Indicator 3.4.2: Suicide mortality rate.
• Indicator 5.1.1: Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce, and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex.
• Indicator 5.6.1: Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use, and reproductive health care.
• Indicator 10.3.1: Proportion of population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law.

Source: dailyfreepress.com