Family planning clinics: facing higher costs and sicker patients

Abstract

Family planning clinics throughout the United States are facing a variety of obstacles that threaten their ability to provide necessary contraceptive services to low-income women and teenagers, according to interviews with clinic administrators. In the last few years, the proportion of patients coming to family planning agencies in need of screening or treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has increased dramatically. Many providers report that 10-15 percent of their clients are infected with chlamydia, the most prevalent STD. The increasing costs of Pap tests and contraceptives are also major problems: As a result of recent federal legislation, the price of Pap tests has risen substantially, and that of contraceptives is beginning to increase steeply. Finally, Title X funding for family planning services has decreased 66 percent over the last decade if both cuts and inflation are taken into account. As a result of the squeeze between increased costs and decreased public funding, clinics have been forced to charge higher fees, maintain long waiting lists for appointments and curtail community outreach. In addition, growth of the family planning patient population has slowed dramatically, and even declined, in some places.

PIP: Family planning clinics throughout the US are facing a variety of obstacles which threaten their ability to provide necessary contraceptive services to low income women and teens, according to interviews with clinic administrators. In the last few years, the proportion of patients coming to family planning agencies need of screening or treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has increased dramatically. Many providers report that 10-15% of their clients are infected with chlamydia, the most prevalent STD. The increasing costs of PAP smears and contraceptives are major problems; as a result of recent federal legislation, the price of Pap smears has risen substantially, and that of contraceptives is also on the increase. Finally, Title X funding for family planning services has decreased 66% over the last decade, if one takes into account both cuts and inflation. As a result of the increased costs and decreased public funds, clinics have been forced to charge higher fees, maintain long waiting lists for appointments, and curtail community outreach. In addition, growth of the family planning patient population has slowed dramatically, and in some places has even declined.