Endocrine Society opposes new rule limiting access to Title X family planning program

The Endocrine Society opposes the administration's decision to severely restrict access to the Title X family planning program, the only national program for affordable birth control and reproductive care.

The Title X program is essential to enable every person, regardless of their income, identity, whether or not they have health insurance, to benefit from basic and preventative health care such as birth control, screening cancer, STI testing, etc. treatment, and well-woman exams. Nearly 500,000 people told the administration about their comments on the dismantling of the Title X program, which has been denounced by all major medical associations.

The Society advocates for continued access to preventative health care, including free hormonal contraception, as outlined in its position statement. Free hormonal contraception services allow a woman to plan effectively if and when she becomes pregnant. This has a positive impact on the socio-economic status and health of families. The resulting reduction in unplanned pregnancies also has a positive impact on health care costs.

Changes to the Title X funding program will threaten the ability of women and youth to access medically necessary preventative and reproductive health care in their communities. Federally qualified health centers will also be overwhelmed as the community health centers that provide these services are eliminated from Title X eligibility.

By limiting women's access to preventive care, changes to the Title X funding program finalized by the administration will increase medical costs and force many women with various disorders to forgo treatment. We urge the administration to eliminate these new eligibility criteria to ensure that all centers qualified to provide these services have the same opportunities to receive a Title X grant.

Endocrinologists are at the heart of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest and largest organization of scientists dedicated to hormone research and doctors who treat people with hormone-related disorders.