Readout of DAS Marcella’s Family Planning Clinic visit in Texas

Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Population Affairs and Director of the Offices of Population Affairs and Adolescent Health Jessica Swafford Marcella visited Houston, Texas to meet with the staff of Every Body Texas, a Title X family planning grantee, and one of their Title X providers, Legacy Community Health.

During the visit, DAS Marcella spoke with the Every Body Texas leadership about the need for reproductive health services in underserved communities and the impact of the Texas SB 8 law. DAS Marcella noted that HHS is working to support access to family planning and other reproductive health services for all Americans.  She also invited participants to recommend specific actions that HHS could take to improve equity in and access to family planning services.

Every Body Texas is the only statewide organization that administers Title X funds to Texas providers, supporting a network of over 35 agencies with more than 175 clinic sites across the state serving more than 180,000 clients annually.

Today’s site visit builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to sustaining equitable, affordable, client-centered, and high-quality family planning services. This year, HHS awarded approximately $271.5 million in grant funding to restore access to Title X services nationwide and fill service gaps caused by more than a quarter of Title X providers withdrawing from the program over the past two and a half years in response to the previous administration’s Title X rule. For more than 50 years, Title X family planning clinics have played a critical role in ensuring access to a broad range of family planning and preventive health services.

During the site visit, DAS Marcella thanked Every Body Texas and Legacy Community Health center staff for their work.  She noted: “Your dedication and commitment to making affordable, quality health care services available to Houston residents is a shining example of how reproductive health services should be provided in our communities.”