Today, the Guttmacher Institute published a new fact sheet and interactive map showing what would happen if Planned Parenthood health centers were removed from the publicly funded contraceptive care network and no longer able to receive Title X funding or federal Medicaid reimbursements. The factsheet, drawing on new research from Guttmacher and Power to Decide on access to publicly funded contraception, demonstrates the critical role that Planned Parenthood plays in providing low- and no-cost contraceptive care across the United States. across the United States.
The publicly funded contraceptive care network, which provides free or reduced-cost contraception to people who would not otherwise be able to afford this care, is made up of a range of provider types, including: Planned Parenthood health centers, hospitals, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and other independent organizations.
Anti-abortion policymakers have repeatedly attempted to “defund” Planned Parenthood in an effort to shut down their health centers, despite the critical role they play in providing care to approximately one-third of those who access publicly funded contraceptive care. In July 2025, Congress passed HR 1, legislation that included an effective federal ban on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood clinics for one year, forcing many of their health centers across the country to close.
Key Findings:
If Planned Parenthood health centers were removed from the publicly funded contraceptive care system:
- 12.4 million women in need of publicly funded contraceptive care would be affected, representing 58% of the total number of US women likely to need this care. (Affected women are those living in a county that would experience any level of reduced access.)
- The West would be the hardest-hit region, affecting 4.1 million women across 94 counties.
- 29 counties across the country would be left without any publicly funded contraceptive provider, leaving 240,860 women without access to affordable birth control.
- 10% (316) of all US counties would be impacted.
“The data are abundantly clear: to come after Planned Parenthood is to come after the millions of people already struggling to afford health care in the United States,” says Megan Kavanaugh, Guttmacher principal research scientist.
“Access to contraception is a fundamental component of health and well-being, and Planned Parenthood plays a vital role in providing low- or no-cost contraceptive care to those who need it. Removing them from the publicly funded contraceptive care network would leave millions of people vulnerable to losing all access to affordable birth control.”
“As politically motivated attacks against Planned Parenthood have resulted in shuttered clinics and real harms to patients, it is increasingly important to study the critical role that Planned Parenthood plays in the publicly funded health care system and why attacks on these health centers are so devastating,” says Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Guttmacher director of federal policy. “In a health policy landscape shaped by punitive reductions in coverage, this fact sheet demonstrates why policymakers and advocates must stand together in strong defense of Planned Parenthood and all providers of quality and affordable sexual and reproductive health care.”
Explore the full analysis and interactive map here.
To learn more or to interview one of Guttmacher’s research or policy experts, reach out to [email protected].