The ongoing federal government shutdown has led to significant layoffs within the Title X family planning program, impacting staff at the national level. Despite these challenges, the program continues to support a large number of individuals seeking reproductive health services. More than 30,000 residents of Arizona, who are without health insurance or are unable to afford healthcare, rely on Title X for essential services such as contraception, STI screenings, pregnancy testing, and breast exams.
In Arizona, the non-profit organization Affirm manages approximately $6.1 million in Title X funds each year. According to Bré Thomas, CEO of Affirm, the organization has secured the necessary funding to maintain operations through the end of March, despite the federal layoffs.
“I think we are good until April 1, and then we’ll have to see what happens after April 1 with regard to the program and the funding,” Thomas explained.
Thomas assured that, so far, the shutdown and layoffs have not disrupted Title X services within Arizona. The Title X initiative, established in 1970 and overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will require congressional action for future funding decisions once the government resumes regular operations.
“Our hope is that Congress will continue to fund the program and then HHS will have to figure out how and where to monitor and run the program out of,” Thomas added. For more details, refer to the report by the New York Times.
