Minnesota Feels the Effects of Title X Funding Cuts
In April, Title X funding narrowly avoided elimination, but a 5.5% cut was made in the last minute negotiations to avoid a government shut down. Now Minnesota is directly experiencing the effects of these cuts, which have caused an 11% reduction for the state’s Title X program. As a result,Minnesota will be closing six Planned Parenthood clinics on August 1. Minnesota had been receiving approximately $3.5 million a year in Title X funding with $3 million allocated to Planned Parenthood. About 1 in 5 women in Minnesota receive services from Planned Parenthood.
Frustration has emerged over the Planned Parenthood shutdowns in the state, because Title X funding does not financially support abortion services. The clinics closing in Minnesota do not provide abortions, but focus solely on reproductive health through contraception, cervical cancer screenings and STD testing. This ideological war on abortion is coming at the cost of access to other reproductive health services. This decreased access to family planning could cause state health care costs to increase as well as increased rates of abortion procedures.
North Dakota and South Dakota are also expected to close down Planned Parenthood clinics in reaction to Title X funding cuts.
For further detail on the benefits and impact of Title X funding, check out Guttmacher Institute’s analysis.
