US Government Funding for Family Planning Declines as More Women Need Publicly Funded Contraception, Report Says

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 04 Mar 2005 - 1:00 PDT

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A "widening gap" exists between women's contraceptive needs and the availability of subsidized family planning services, according to a report released on Tuesday by the... Alan Guttmacher Institute, the AP/Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports. In 2002, 16.8 million women needed subsidized contraception, but clinics only were able to provide family planning services to 40% of such women, according to the report (Crary, AP/Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, 3/1). In addition, since 1994, 27 states and the District of Columbia have seen their overall level of funding for family planning services remain the same or decrease. In addition, Medicaid programs, which have the "burden of meeting women's health care needs" and comprise nearly 67% of all federal and state family planning funding, have had to cut funding since the early 2000s, according to an AGI release. The disparity between women's needs and program funding is occuring in part because of "greater hostility" to women's reproductive health issues in Congress and state legislatures, according to the release. "Today, half of all women who are at risk for unintended pregnancy if they don't use birth control need publicly funded family planning services," Rachel Benson Gold, AGI director of policy analysis, said, adding, "Yet in Congress and the states, we are facing a potential 'perfect storm' that could make it harder for these women to get contraceptives, counseling and STD testing that help them plan their pregnancies and protect their health" (AGI release, 3/1).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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