The Title X family planning program is the only federal grant program in the United States dedicated exclusively to family planning and related preventive health care. Created in 1970 under the Public Health Service Act and codified at 42 U.S.C. ยง 300, it is administered by the Office of Population Affairs within the Department of Health and Human Services.1GovInfo. 42 USC 300 – Public Health and Welfare In its most recent reporting year, Title X served roughly 2.8 million clients at about 3,853 clinic sites nationwide on approximately $286.5 million in annual federal funding.2Congress.gov. Title X Family Planning Program If you don’t have private insurance or a regular doctor, a Title X clinic is often the most accessible place to get contraception, STI testing, cancer screenings, and pregnancy-related counseling.
What You Can Get at a Title X Clinic
Contraception is the core service. Every Title X provider is required to offer the full range of FDA-approved methods: IUDs and implants, pills and patches, barrier methods, emergency contraception, and permanent sterilization. Clinics also provide education on natural family planning for patients who prefer non-pharmaceutical approaches.3eCFR. 42 CFR Part 59 – Grants for Family Planning Services
A visit can also include STI and HIV testing with counseling, pregnancy testing, basic infertility services, and preconception health screenings. Clinicians screen for breast and cervical cancers, check for conditions like hypertension, and screen for intimate partner violence and human trafficking.4Office of Population Affairs (HHS). Title X Program Handbook Men can access STI screening, contraceptive counseling, and fertility services on the same terms as women.
What It Costs
What you pay depends on your household income measured against the Federal Poverty Level, which HHS updates every January. For 2026, the FPL thresholds in the 48 contiguous states are:5U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
- 1 person: $15,960
- 2 people: $21,640
- 3 people: $27,320
- 4 people: $33,000
If your household income is at or below 100% of the FPL, all covered services are free. Between 101% and 250% of the FPL, you pay on a sliding fee scale that rises with income. For a single person in 2026, that sliding range runs from $15,961 to $39,900. Above 250% of the FPL, the clinic charges fees designed to recover the reasonable cost of care.3eCFR. 42 CFR Part 59 – Grants for Family Planning Services
No Title X provider can turn you away because you cannot pay.6Federal Register. Ensuring Access to Equitable, Affordable, Client-Centered, Quality Family Planning Services Even a higher-income patient facing temporary hardship or without funds at the appointment can still be seen.
If You Have Insurance
Clinics are required to bill your private insurance or Medicaid first, at the full rate, before applying any sliding-scale discount to what’s left.7eCFR. 42 CFR 59.5 – What Requirements Must Be Met by a Family Planning Project Your plan may cover the visit entirely and leave you with nothing to pay.
If you’re on a family member’s plan and want the visit kept private, tell the clinic before check-in. Federal regulations require the provider to inform you about any potential disclosure of your health information to the policyholder when that person is someone other than you.8eCFR. 42 CFR 59.10 – Confidentiality
Your Rights as a Patient
Title X clinics operate under 42 CFR Part 59, and the rules that matter most to patients cover choice, privacy, and equal treatment.
Every service is voluntary. No provider can pressure you toward or away from a particular contraceptive method or sterilization, or condition other benefits on your participation. Projects must offer a broad range of medically approved methods rather than a limited menu.7eCFR. 42 CFR 59.5 – What Requirements Must Be Met by a Family Planning Project
Personal information collected during your visit must be kept confidential and cannot be released without your documented consent, except when disclosure is required by law or necessary to provide your care.8eCFR. 42 CFR 59.10 – Confidentiality
Minors get especially strong privacy protection. The regulations prohibit clinic staff from notifying a parent or guardian before or after a minor requests or receives Title X services, and parental consent is not required for a minor to be seen. Providers are encouraged to promote family involvement when appropriate, but the decision to include a parent rests with the minor.8eCFR. 42 CFR 59.10 – Confidentiality
There is one hard limit on confidentiality. Title X projects must comply with state mandatory reporting laws for suspected child abuse, neglect, or sexual exploitation. Those laws vary by state, and reporting obligations override Title X confidentiality when they apply.
On nondiscrimination, clinics cannot refuse or downgrade care based on religion, race, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, number of pregnancies, or marital status.7eCFR. 42 CFR 59.5 – What Requirements Must Be Met by a Family Planning Project
Pregnancy Counseling and Abortion
Title X funds cannot be used to provide abortion as a method of family planning. That prohibition is written into the regulations.7eCFR. 42 CFR 59.5 – What Requirements Must Be Met by a Family Planning Project
What clinics must do is offer every pregnant client the opportunity to receive factual, nondirective counseling on all their options: prenatal care and delivery, infant care or adoption, and pregnancy termination. If you ask for information on any of those options, the provider must give neutral, factual counseling and make a referral on request. If you say you don’t want information about a particular option, the provider respects that.7eCFR. 42 CFR 59.5 – What Requirements Must Be Met by a Family Planning Project
Finding a Clinic and What to Bring
The Office of Population Affairs maintains a searchable clinic locator at reproductivehealthservices.gov.9Office of Population Affairs. What Are Title X Family Planning Clinics, and Where Can You Find One Once you find a site, call to schedule an appointment and confirm what documents to bring.
The clinic needs to determine your income to place you on the fee scale, so bring recent pay stubs, a W-2, or a tax return. If you participate in another income-tested program like Medicaid or SNAP, some clinics can use that enrollment as a shortcut. If you have no documentation at all, the clinic will accept a self-reported income figure and base your charges on that.4Office of Population Affairs (HHS). Title X Program Handbook It also helps to bring a list of any medications you currently take, with dosages, plus notes on any reproductive health history or relevant family medical conditions.