The Guttmacher institute has released a study highlighting the importance of Title X funding. Title X is the sole federal program devoted entirely to family planning. In his recent budget, President Obama proposed a modest increase in funding to Title X. Unfortunately, Congress members want to cut that funding, or eliminate the program entirely. This is extremely disturbing because Title X provides a crucial healthcare service to many young and economically disadvantaged women.
The services that the program provides dramatically reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. In turn, this saves taxpayers’ money.
The contraceptive services provided at these centers helped women and couples avoid 973,000 unintended pregnancies, which would have resulted in 433,000 unplanned births and 406,000 abortions. Without these services, unintended pregnancy and abortion in the United States would be one-third higher. And by helping women avoid unintended pregnancies, Title X–supported family planning centers saved taxpayers $3.4 billion in 2008—or $3.74 for every $1 spent on contraceptive care.
Title X and its services impact many in the state of Pennsylvania and nationally, and slashing the funding of this program is not only dangerous but fiscally irresponsible. Title X’s impact in Pennsylvania is substantial:
In the absence of these services, the level of teen pregnancy in Pennsylvania would be 76% higher. By helping women avoid unintended pregnancies and the births that would follow, the services provided at Title X–supported centers in Pennsylvania saved $183,505,000 in public funds in 2008.
In addition to preventing unintended pregnancies Title X is many women’s major form of medical care. It covers not just contraception services, but all forms of women’s reproductive care making it a crucial program to ensure the health of women.
One-quarter of all poor women who obtain contraceptive services each year do so at a site that receives Title X funding, as do 17% of poor women obtaining a Pap test or pelvic exam and 20% obtaining services for a sexually transmitted infection. It is therefore not at all surprising that six in 10 women who obtain care at a Title X–supported center consider it to be their usual source of medical care.
It is unfortunate that some want to remove a vitally important form of healthcare for many women. Tell them no by signing the petition from PA for Women’s Health Care today.
