"Title X" funding of U.S. family planning agencies

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Introduction:

The U.S. Federal government provides grants under Title X of the Public Health Service Act to thousands of family planning agencies, including those operated by hospitals, public health departments and Planned Parenthood. The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) collates data from these grantees and issues annual reports which describe the services performed by these grantees. ₁ The AGI is a non-profit group which was founded in 1968 by Alan F. Guttmacher (1898-1974). At the time, he was president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, an obstetrician-gynecologist, an author and a leader in reproductive rights. ₂ Although the AGI is a pro-choice group, its data is widely accepted as accurate, and is cited by both pro-choice and pro-life groups. AGI estimates that, by supplying contraceptive information, "Each year, Title X-supported clinics alone help prevent nearly one million unintended pregnancies. These pregnancies would have resulted in an additional 397,000 unintended births, [and] 470,000 abortions..."

Clients of Title X agencies during 2001:

Of the clients of Title X agencies, 96% were women. Most were under 24 years of age:

"Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Title X family planning users have incomes at or below the poverty level. Another seventeen percent of users have family incomes that are between 101% and 150% of the poverty level."

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Services provided by Title X agencies during 2001:

As of 2004-MAR, this appears to be the most recent report issued by the Alan Guttmacher Institute. They report that 4,590 Title X agencies served 4,857,717 users of family planning services during 2001. This is an increase of 7% over the year 2000, and is the highest level ever reported.

Services included:

References:

1. "Family Planning annual report: 2001 Summary; Part 1," Alan Guttmacher Institute, Page 28, at: http://www.agi-usa.org/  You need software to read these files. It can be obtained free from:  
2. "About AGI," at: http://www.agi-usa.org/
3. Op cit., "Family Planning...," Page 24.
4. Op cit., "Family Planning...," Page 33.

Copyright © 1995 to 2004 incl. by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Last updated: 2004-MAR-16
Author: B.A. Robinson