June 24
,
2010
by: ASRM Office of Public Affairs
Orginally published in ASRM Bulletin Volume 12, Number 23
Today, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of Title X, Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced congressional resolutions heralding the public health achievement of the Title X family planning program that has served to improve access to quality family planning care and other preventative health services for millions of low-income or uninsured American women and men.
In 1970, Title X of the Public Health Service Act was enacted with broad bipartisan support, fulfilling then-President Nixon’s declaration that “no American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance because of her economic condition.” The program provides the opportunity for individuals to maintain their reproductive health via access to contraceptive services, pelvic exams, pregnancy testing, screening for cervical and breast cancer, screening for STDs and HIV, basic infertility services, and health education.
In 2008, of the sixty-six million U.S. women of reproductive age, half were in need of contraceptive services and supplies, and 17.4 million women were considered to be in need of publicly funded contraceptive services and supplies. Of that number, 71% were adults with family incomes below 250% of the federal poverty level.
For every dollar spent on publicly funded family planning care, $3.74 is saved, according to the Guttmacher Institute. In 2008, at least $5.1 billion in net savings was a result of publicly funding family planning services, $3.4 billion of which stemmed from services provided at Title X-supported health centers. Thanks in part to Title X –funded health centers, births per 1,000 teenagers between 1970 and 2000 decreased from 68.3 to 48.7. Between 1995 and 1998, Title X clinics performed 19 million STD tests, including 1.4 million HIV tests. By 2001, Title X-funded health centers had provided an estimated 54.4 million breast examinations and 57.3 million Pap tests, resulting in the early detection of as many as 55,000 cases of invasive cervical cancer.
ASRM is a supporter of the congressional resolutions marking the anniversary of Title X and recognizing it as a critical component of the U.S. public health care system. ASRM also continues to advocate for a strong funding base for the vital Title X program.
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