Availability of Confidential Services for Teens Declined After the 2011–2013 Changes to Publicly Funded Family Planning Programs in Texas

Abstract

PurposeTexas is one of 24 states that does not explicitly allow minors to consent to contraception. We explore changes in the provision of confidential reproductive health services after the implementation of state policies that cut and reorganized public family planning funding, including Title X. MethodsWe use data from 3 waves of in-depth interviews, conducted between February 2012 and February 2015, with program administrators at publicly funded family planning organizations in Texas about changes in service delivery. We conducted a thematic analysis of transcripts from 47 organizations with segments related to the provision of services to minor teens. ResultsOverall, 34 of the 47 organizations received Title X funding before 2013, and 79% lost this funding during the study period. Respondents at these organizations frequently reported a decrease in teen clients, which they attributed to loss of confidential services previously guaranteed under Title X. As the number of Title X–funded sites decreased, availability of confidential services became inconsistent. Most organizations offered confidential testing for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, but availability of confidential contraceptive services varied across and within organizations and often depended on insurance coverage. Respondents also reported challenges clarifying parental consent requirements after the changes in Title X and state funding. ConclusionsLoss of Title X funding decreased availability of quality family planning services for teens and burdened organizations. As the new Title X regulations are implemented, family planning organizations' experiences in Texas foreshadow what might occur nationally, particularly in states that do not allow minors to consent for contraception.