21.4 Million U.S. Women Face Limited Access to Subsidized Contraception, New Analysis Finds
Power to Decide and Guttmacher Institute released updated county-level maps showing 21.4 million women needing subsidized contraception live in counties with limited access to publicly-funded family planning clinics. The analysis measures clinic capacity against demand among women earning under 250% of federal poverty level, revealing widespread gaps in Title X-funded services. Maricopa County, Arizona exemplifies the challenge with 29 publicly-funded clinics serving only 8% of nearly 300,000 women in need. The methodology focuses on brick-and-mortar clinics receiving federal or state family planning funds, using patient caseloads to estimate capacity and National Survey of Family Growth data to identify women who would use contraception if cost were not a barrier.