Trump admin shifts focus of Title X program away from birth control
Health clinics that rely on the Title
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The program provides federal funding for reproductive health services provided to low-income and uninsured patients, including birth control, cancer screenings, wellness exams, and HIV testing. Title X serves more than 2.8 million people.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration delayed the standard application process for the new Title
Title
Ultimately, the grants became available on Friday.
“Generally speaking, recipients received awards that were at or near the level of the allocation they received in 2025,” Clare Coleman, CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, said in a statement. The group advocates for Title X clinics.
However, the Title X program could face further upheaval next year.
Last week, HHS’s Office of Population Affairs released new guidelines for clinics requesting funding for 2027. They appear to shift the primary goal for which the program was created — expanding access to contraception — toward “natural family planning,” a term that refers to tracking menstrual cycles to avoid sex during fertile periods. This method is less effective in preventing pregnancy than hormonal contraception.
“We expect applicants to demonstrate how their Title
Citing an “overreliance on pharmaceutical and surgical treatments,” the guidelines encourage Title X clinics to counsel patients on lifestyle factors that influence general health and fertility and to expand access to what they describe as “fertility awareness-based methods.”
They also state that candidates cannot use Title X funding to promote or provide abortions. During President Donald Trump’s first term, his administration also banned Title X clinics from providing abortion care or abortion referrals, prompting about 1,000 clinics to leave the program. The regulations were reversed under the Biden administration.
“HHS is committed to ensuring that Title “HHS aligns the program with President Trump’s pro-life, pro-family agenda. »
Hilliard did not respond to a question about whether the government would allow Title X funds to be used for hormonal birth control in 2027.
“We continue to analyze the new guidance for the 2027 funding cycle and are concerned about what this means for patients,” Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a statement. “Everyone deserves access to sexual and reproductive health care, regardless of race, gender, zip code, income or insurance status. »
The change reflects several priorities of the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump has said he wants to make it easier for couples to have babies, and Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy” agenda focuses on addressing the underlying causes of chronic disease. Kennedy said Americans were taking too many medications.
The new Title Birth control pill use actually declined from 2017 to 2019 to 2022 to 2023. Decades of research have shown that hormonal contraception is safe for most people and that serious complications are rare, although some studies have identified a slightly elevated risk of breast cancer in women who have taken birth control pills.
Clinics say they are still sorting through the new guidelines and whether the change will affect their ability to offer birth control. The National Association of Family Planning and Reproductive Health said a 2021 regulation requiring Title X projects to offer a wide range of contraceptive methods is still in effect.
The next round of applications is not expected until January.
The Trump administration’s focus on “natural family planning” is a departure from the original mission of Title X. The program was passed in 1970 with a bipartisan goal of making contraception accessible to families regardless of income. It has since expanded to include fertility services, breast and cervical cancer screening, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
In response to a request for comment, the White House referred NBC News to the Office of Management and Budget, which did not respond to the inquiry.
HHS said in its guidance for next year that it intends to release up to $257 million through Title
