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Recently, the Trump administration modified the regulations surrounding Title X funds, prompting Planned Parenthood to stop accepting the funding. This shift could make it more difficult to access free or sliding-scale services like birth control, STD testing, and other essential care. Here’s what you should know.
What is Title X?
Pronounced "title ten," this is the federal family planning program. Through Title X, organizations (including but not limited to Planned Parenthood) receive grants that enable them to offer services either for free or on a sliding scale based on income.
Title X services do not cover abortion, but they do include a variety of services such as birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing, and pregnancy tests. Additionally, the program provides education, counseling, and referrals related to sexual health.
The purpose of the program is to ensure that people, particularly those with low incomes and from rural areas or communities of color, have access to these essential services.
How can I tell if I’ve used Title X services?
You might not know for sure. Title X isn’t a program you enroll in, but if you’ve ever received free or sliding-scale services from Planned Parenthood or a similar organization, there’s a chance those services were funded through Title X.
What changes happen immediately?
The new regulation mandates that organizations receiving Title X funding must not refer patients for abortion services, nor can they provide information about other providers offering abortion care. This policy has been labeled a "gag rule." Planned Parenthood challenged the rule in court, but the courts sided with the government, granting Planned Parenthood until August 19 to comply. In response, they chose to stop accepting the funding altogether.
"Planned Parenthood is still open. Our doors are open today, and our doors will be open tomorrow," said the acting president of the organization during a press call. For more details, the website advises reaching out to your local Planned Parenthood affiliate to inquire about available services and their associated costs.
A spokesperson from Planned Parenthood mentioned over the phone that they are exploring alternative funding sources to maintain the same services previously offered through Title X. Depending on your location, you may notice no significant changes, though some local clinics may no longer offer the services they once did.
What does this mean for the future?
Planned Parenthood continues to challenge the rule in court, but if it remains in effect, they will no longer receive federal funding. This will likely lead to an increase in fundraising campaigns. More importantly, affordable sexual health services may become more difficult to access. Prior to these changes, Planned Parenthood provided roughly 40% of the country’s Title X-funded services.
The government has stated that other organizations may step in to help, but their proposals seem to involve redirecting funds to crisis pregnancy centers, which often do not offer contraception or the full range of services that Planned Parenthood provides. A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood warns that this could lead to long waits and lengthy travel for low-income and rural patients.
