Title X Frequently Asked Questions
What is Title X?
Established in 1970 as part of the Public Health Service Act, Title X (ten) is the nation’s only federal program dedicated to providing family planning services. The program supports a nationwide network of approximately 4,500 clinics and provides family planning and related preventive health services to nearly 5 million people each year. The mission of Title X is to provide individuals with the information and means to exercise personal choice in determining the number and spacing of their children.
Primarily serving a lower-income population, Title X carries out President Richard Nixon’s proclamation that “no American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance because of her economic condition.” Over the last 35 years, the network of Title X clinics has played a critical role in ensuring access to confidential family planning services, including birth control, for millions of uninsured, underinsured and low-income women at no cost or at a reduced cost. For many women, Title X serves as an entry point into the health care system, as well as a source of primary health care services. The high-quality reproductive health services provided by Title X have significantly reduced the rate of unintended pregnancy and lowered the rates of sexually transmitted diseases.
Why is Title X needed?
If a woman wants two children, she will spend five years pregnant or trying to be pregnant—and roughly 30 years trying to avoid pregnancy. Contraception is a basic function of a woman’s life. The contraceptive counseling and services provided by Title X help couples plan pregnancies and space births, an important element in ensuring positive birth outcomes and a healthy start for infants. Each year, publicly subsidized family planning services help women avoid an estimated 1.3 million unintended pregnancies, including 30,000 in Missouri. Title X services also play an integral part in the early detection of breast and cervical cancer, as well as preventing sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
In addition to promoting good health, family planning is a good investment. Studies show that every public dollar spent for contraceptive services saves an average of $3 in Medicaid costs for pregnancy-related health care and medical care for newborns.
What services does Title X provide?
- Gynecological examinations and basic lab tests.
- Breast and cervical cancer screenings.
- Contraceptive counseling and supplies.
- Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
- HIV testing and risk reduction counseling.
- Pregnancy testing.
- General health screenings for high blood pressure, diabetes and anemia.
- Community education and outreach.
How do Title X funds flow from the federal government to local clinics?
Title X funds are appropriated by Congress and approved by the President as part of the budget of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Title X funds are allocated to 10 DHHS Regional Offices. Nationwide, approximately 86 public and private organizations, including Missouri Family Health Council (MFHC), administer the funds received from the Regional Offices. Those funds are distributed to service provider agencies, which in turn fund local clinics.
Where do people receive Title X services in Missouri?
Title X clinics are located throughout the state. MFHC contracts with 22 agencies, a diverse group of community-based organizations and local health agencies, which provide family planning services at nearly 100 clinic locations in 68 counties plus the City of St. Louis. To find a clinic in your area, click here.
Who receives services through Title X?
Title X clinics primarily serve low-income Americans. In 2006, nearly 80 percent of the 87,160 women and men who received services at Title X clinics in Missouri were at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. The majority of Title X clients are uninsured and do not qualify for Medicaid. For an overview of 2006 client and services data, click here.
How much are clients charged for services provided at Title X-funded clinics?
Title X clinics provide confidential services free of charge to clients with incomes at or below the federal poverty level. Services are offered on a sliding fee scale for clients with incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. |
