Besieged family planning network plays pivotal role.

For millions of young and economically disadvantaged women in the United States the nationwide network of publicly subsidized safety-net family planning centers is key to providing long-term economic security for women and their families. In studies conducted by the Guttmacher Institute women report a wide variety of reasons for choosing specialized family planning centers over other providers. Women cite respect from staff members confidentiality access to free or low-cost services convenience and knowledgeable staff as the most popular reasons. Specialized family planning centers do better than primary-care focused health centers on many measures of service quality including time spent with clients the range of contraceptive methods provided and the use of advanced protocols for contraceptive care. Specialized family planning centers not only serve the role as the entry point to the health care system but also as the only point of the contact with the health care system for many clients. Despite the importance of publicly funded family planning services federal and state family planning programs have been singled out for drastic cuts in recent years. In both 2011 and 2012 the House of Representatives approved legislation that would eliminate all funding for Title X - money that provides critical support for clinical family planning services and for the service delivery infrastructure nationwide. Family planning program supporters argue for the resources and support these programs need to serve the millions of American women who require them.