Federal health officials temporarily froze Title X family-planning funds for some Planned Parenthood clinics, which provide reproductive health services ranging from birth control to STI testing, across the nation this week (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images).
More than 1 million people seeking care such as contraception or testing for sexually transmitted diseases and cancer could be affected by the Trump administration withholding more than $27 million in Title X funding to Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide, according to estimates from the Guttmacher Institute.
Planned Parenthood state affiliates said they were notified that the funding they receive under the Title X family-planning program would be temporarily frozen, Politico first reported Monday night.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for managing and distributing Title X funds, told States Newsroom via email that it is reviewing all Title X grant recipients to make sure they comply with federal law and President Donald Trump’s executive orders. The department is concerned about “the compliance of several awardees” that together receive $27.5 million, according to an HHS spokesperson, who added, “HHS expects all recipients of federal funding to comply with federal law.”
Letters received by some affiliates detailed possible violations of federal civil rights laws and executive orders recently issued by Trump, including the administration’s efforts to prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and provide care regardless of a person’s immigration status.
“It is difficult to overstate how ridiculous it is that the administration is premising this funding freeze on a ‘DEI review,’” said Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Guttmacher’s director of federal policy, in a statement. “The entire point of the Title X program is to address disparities in access to contraception and other sexual and reproductive health care, including serving people with low incomes and those from other historically underserved communities. We need to see this for what it is — a direct attack on health equity.”
The Title X program was established in 1970 to provide reproductive health care for anyone who needs it. Federal law prohibits use of federal funds for abortion. Planned Parenthood clinics offer a broad range of non-abortion services.
No final decisions have been made regarding Title X funding for Planned Parenthood.
Affiliates in Alaska, California, Idaho, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and others reported receiving the notification, representing thousands of people served at each clinic every year and millions in funds. Guttmacher’s data shows that 83% of people who visited Title X-funded clinics in 2023 had family incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty level.
In Missouri and Oklahoma alone, Title X funding totals nearly $8.5 million, according to a news release from Missouri Family Health Council.
“Withholding these critical funds, even temporarily, threatens the essential sexual and reproductive health care communities depend on,” said Michelle Trupiano, executive director of the council.
Kat Mavengere, spokesperson for Maine Family Planning, said the agency also received notice of a freeze affecting $1.92 million in funds. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is a sub-grantee of Maine Family Planning. Mavengere told States Newsroom the notice from HHS identified two items on their website “related to documents that detail our commitment to health equity” as reasons for the funding review.
Nicole Clegg, CEO of the Northern New England Planned Parenthood affiliate, said it receives about $900,000 in funds between Maine and New Hampshire from the family-planning organization.
If people can’t seek basic reproductive health services at no cost, including wellness exams, Clegg said they go without.
“We’ve seen that. When Planned Parenthoods leave communities, the data just speaks to increases in STI transmission, increases in unintended pregnancy … there are very real consequences to a community when we’re no longer there,” Clegg said.
A recent poll conducted by Perry Undem showed 77% of respondents were opposed to the idea of the Trump administration cutting funding for services like birth control for people with low incomes.
During his first term, Trump also cut Title X funds to clinics that provided abortions or referred people for abortions in 2019, causing one-third of participating providers to leave the program, according to KFF. The Biden administration reversed the policy two years later.
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday in a case that will determine whether South Carolina government officials can remove Planned Parenthood clinics from the state’s Medicaid program because the organization provides abortions. If the court rules in South Carolina’s favor, other states that have tried to drain the organization’s funding for decades may follow suit.
Anti-abortion organizations celebrated the news of the Title X freeze for some Planned Parenthood clinics on Tuesday, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which has been pushing efforts to “defund” Planned Parenthood in recent weeks in its fundraising emails. SBA was also involved in the drafting of the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for the next conservative presidency, Project 2025, and identified this action as a priority.
“This is a big step in the right direction,” President Marjorie Dannenfelser told States Newsroom in a statement. “We thank President Trump for this bold action and urge further steps to eliminate all taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood.”
This post was originally authored and published by Kelcie Moseley-Morris from Missouri Independent via RSS Feed. Join today to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.
