Access to Contraception Faces Renewed Challenges Under Trump Administration
Recent actions by the Trump administration and affiliated organizations are raising concerns about access to contraception across the United States, impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals, particularly those with low incomes. A coordinated effort to limit reproductive healthcare access appears to be underway, according to legal experts and healthcare providers.
The department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has withheld funding from organizations like Bridgercare in Montana, which oversees 20 reproductive health clinics statewide. HHS cited public statements made by Bridgercare regarding antiracism and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts as violating the Civil Rights Act and recent executive orders. This funding cut has put access to contraception at risk for over 800,000 people.
Similar funding disputes have occurred at other organizations nationally, though some have since had their funding reinstated. in response, a coalition of 15 organizations has filed a lawsuit against the administration, alleging attacks on birth control access at both the state and federal levels.
Beyond the title X funding cuts, recent reductions to medicaid, enacted through a new Republican spending bill, further jeopardize access to healthcare, including contraception, for millions of women. Several states have also seen attempts to restrict contraceptive access; despite bipartisan support for a right-to-contraception bill in Virginia, it was vetoed by the Republican governor.
Legal experts point to “Project 2025,” a policy blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation and adopted by President Trump, as evidence of a coordinated strategy. Kimi Chernoby, an attorney with the National Women’s Law Center, stated that the inclusion of attacks on birth control within Project 2025 demonstrates the intentional nature of these efforts.
The administration has not publicly stated its reasoning for limiting access to contraception. Neither HHS nor the Heritage Foundation responded to requests for comment.
Shireen Ghorbani of Planned Parenthood of Utah highlighted the administration’s stated desire for an increased birth rate, suggesting a connection to the restrictions on reproductive healthcare. She emphasized that these cuts disproportionately affect low-income individuals but ultimately impact the entire healthcare system.
“All of this is building a structure that makes it harder and harder for individuals to control their sexual and reproductive lives, to plan their families and have kids when they want to,” Ghorbani said. the lawsuit filed by her organization and others aims to challenge these restrictions and preserve access to contraception, a service initially expanded through federal programs five decades ago to ensure universal access.
