The Trump administration has initiated a freeze on Title X family planning funds, directly affecting Planned Parenthood affiliates across the nation, including those in Indiana. This decision has significant implications for reproductive health services, particularly for low-income individuals who rely on these programs.
Scope of the funding freeze
Effective April 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to withhold approximately $27.5 million in family planning grants. This action impacts nine Planned Parenthood affiliates operating over 300 health centers nationwide, which collectively handled more than 1.5 million visits in 2023. The funding freeze is part of a broader initiative to ensure compliance with executive orders and federal laws, particularly concerning the use of funds for diversity initiatives.
Impact on Indiana
In Indiana, the funding freeze affects Planned Parenthood health centers in Hammond and Lafayette. These centers provide essential services such as birth control, cancer screenings and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment. The loss of Title X funding raises concerns about access to reproductive health care for thousands of Hoosiers, especially those in underserved communities.
Planned Parenthood’s response
Planned Parenthood has expressed strong opposition to the funding cuts, emphasizing the potential negative impact on public health.
“Every single day, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are burning down critical components of our country and its health care system,” said Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky. “Their agenda is the same as the anti-abortion groups that support them: punish patients, punish Planned Parenthood and dictate which patients can get health care and what care they can get. This administration is set on dismantling access to reproductive health care and now they are using our commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment to our patients and staff as an excuse to attack Planned Parenthood and the care we provide to the patients who need it most.”
Residents are encouraged to contact Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky or visit their official website at plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-great-northwest-hawaii-alaska-indiana-kentuck for more information on how these funding changes may affect local health services and to explore available resources.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
