Missouri Family Health Council, Inc. Contact:
Leslie Klote
(573) 694-4898 / LKlote@mfhc.org
Missouri Foundation for Health Contact:
Daniel Waxler
(314) 345-5580 / dwaxler@mffh.org
Future Access to Birth Control Questioned
New Survey Released by Missouri-based The Right Time Initiative
as Federal Title X Funding Remains Withheld
JEFFERSON CITY (April 16, 2025) – As Missouri continues to wait for critical federal Title X funding, newly released polling from The Right Time, an initiative of Missouri Foundation for Health, reveals widespread concern among residents about the future of birth control access in the state.
According to the poll, 37% of Missourians believe birth control will become harder – or even impossible – to get in the future, while only 18% believe it will become easier. This uncertainty is compounded by political inaction and the continued withholding of Title X funds, which support affordable family planning services for tens of thousands across the state.
“This polling shows Missourians are worried – and rightly so,” said Michelle Trupiano, Executive Director of Missouri Family Health Council, Inc. (MFHC). “The longer we wait for Title X funding, the more people are left without access to basic sexual and reproductive healthcare. This isn’t just a bureaucratic delay – it’s a direct threat to Missourians’ ability to plan their futures.”
The survey of 1,000 Missouri residents ages 18-35 was conducted in March 2025 as part of the Missouri-based The Right Time initiative. Through this effort, health centers across the state are improving access to contraception by providing free or low-cost birth control in more than 30 locations. The Right Time provides training, assistance, and funding for clinics to expand access to the full range of contraceptive methods. The Right Time, Title X, and other funding sources collectively support health centers in offering quality care while helping patients by reducing cost barriers. MFHC serves as the program office for The Right Time initiative and is Missouri’s sole Title X grantee.
“The Right Time has provided same-day contraceptive services to nearly 80,000 patients to date, particularly focused on those who may have traditionally struggled with access,” said Kathleen Holmes, Vice President of Transformation & Integration at Missouri Foundation for Health. “While we’re proud of this work, so much more needs to be done, and we’re running a risk of moving backwards as a state. The polling clearly shows that Missourians value birth control and want elected officials to do more to protect access.”
Confusion about the legality of birth control in Missouri remains. For example, 30% of those surveyed either don’t know or don’t believe that birth control pills are legal, and 47% either don’t know or don’t believe that emergency contraception is legal in the state.
The polling also shows that 60% of Missourians are concerned that state lawmakers could pass laws to restrict access to birth control. An almost equal percentage (57%) are concerned Congress or the president will restrict future access to birth control.
Despite this, there’s overwhelming bipartisan agreement that access to birth control matters. Eighty-three percent of Missourians believe everyone should have access to all methods of birth control, and 75% want Missouri policymakers to be strong supporters of contraceptive access. Yet just 32% believe their leaders currently are – a sharp disconnect between public values and political action.
Title X remains the nation’s only federally funded family planning program, and is essential to ensuring equitable access to contraception, sexually transmitted infection testing, cancer screenings, and more – particularly for low-income and uninsured individuals.
“These numbers tell a clear story: Missourians support birth control, and they expect their elected leaders to do the same,” said Trupiano. “It’s time for Missouri lawmakers and the federal government to prioritize funding and policies that protect access to birth control, not threaten it.”
About the Survey: The results presented here are based on an online survey of 1,000 Missouri residents fielded in March 2025. The survey was conducted by AYRM, an independent research organization. The margin of error for all respondents is 3.10% at a 95% confidence level.
###
About The Right Time:
The Right Time is an initiative of Missouri Foundation for Health and is led by Missouri Family Health Council, Inc. The Right Time is improving information about, and access to, quality contraceptive services by reducing costs and improving access. TheRightTime.org provides residents of Missouri with access to free and low-cost birth control, trustworthy information on birth control, and is committed to addressing persistent health disparities. Visit TheRightTime.org for more information.
About Title X:
For more than 50 years, the federal Title X family planning program has provided critical preventive healthcare for millions, funding a nationwide network of health centers that provide high-quality reproductive and sexual healthcare to all. This healthcare access includes contraception, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and other preventive services, with priority given to people with low incomes or no other options for care. The Title X program’s mission is to help people both achieve and prevent pregnancy. Millions rely on services available through Title X each year. April 1 marked the beginning of a new Title X budget period, but in an unprecedented move, Missouri Family Health Council, Inc. (MFHC) is among multiple grantees to have Title X funding withheld by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; read more in MFHC’s press release.
Missouri Family Health Council’s mission is to make sexual and reproductive healthcare accessible to all people – regardless of income, geography, identity, or circumstances. We’re increasing access through our three main programs: Title X (Missouri & Oklahoma), The Right Time initiative, and the Free EC project. We also strengthen the healthcare safety net by reducing barriers to care, and advocate for statewide policies that expand access to affordable sexual and reproductive care. Learn more at MFHC.org.
Missouri Foundation for Health is building a more equitable future through collaboration, convening, knowledge-sharing and strategic investment. Working in partnership with communities and nonprofits, MFH is transforming systems to eliminate inequities within all aspects of health and addressing the social and economic factors that shape health outcomes.
