Proposed Title X Regulations Could Significantly Impact Family Planning Care for Low-income Women

Earlier this month, the Trump Administration proposed new regulations for the Federal Title X family planning program that could significantly impact the network of providers currently available to low-income women and restrict what participating providers can discuss with women as part of their family planning care. A new Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief reviews the proposed regulations and their implications for low-income women and the providers who serve them.

A key proposed change would essentially disqualify family planning organizations that also offer abortions, like Planned Parenthood, from receiving Title X support to provide family planning services to low-income women.  In addition, the proposed regulations would:

• Curtail counseling and referrals to abortion services by Title X funded providers;
• Eliminate current requirements that Title X sites offer a broad range of medically approved family planning methods and non-directive pregnancy options counseling that includes information about prenatal care/delivery, adoption, and abortion; and
• Direct new funds to faith-based and other organizations that promote fertility awareness and abstinence as methods of family planning.

The public can comment on the proposed Title X regulations through July 31st, and a final regulation may be published as soon as September of this year.