Increase in males attending Title X family planning clinics - 2003-2013

Background: Since 1970 the Title X program has provided family planning and related preventive health services for low-income women and men. Most clients are women, but the Title X program also promotes use of clinics by men through delivering male-focused sexual and reproductive health services.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Title X National Family Planning Program’s Annual Reports, assessing trends in the number and percentage of males who have had at least one family planning encounter at a Title X service site in a calendar year (“family planning users”) from 2003-2013. We also assessed state-level variation and characteristics of males served in 2013.

Results: During 2003-2013, 3,551,640 males visited Title X service sites, making up 6.5% of all family planning users. In 2013, 373,237 (­­8.2%) of 4,557,824 users were male; an 82% increase from 4.5% in 2003. In 2013, male family planning users were generally aged 20-29 years (49.7%) or 15-19 years (14.7%). Males most commonly identified as non-Hispanic white (36.5%), Hispanic or Latino (27.2%), and non-Hispanic black (23.1%). The percent of users who were male varied by state, with the highest in D.C. (25.2%), Alaska (20.6%), and Delaware (17.2%), and lowest in Alabama (1.2%), Mississippi (1.2%), Arkansas (1.0%), and Tennessee (0.8%).

Conclusions:  Use of Title X service sites by men has increased markedly during the last decade, although there are state-level variations. Through a focus on male services, Title X provides an increasing number of men with family planning and related preventive health services.