PUBLIC FUNDING FOR CONTRACEPTIVE, STERILIZATION AND ABORTION SERVICES, 1994

In 1994, federal and state funding for contraceptive services and supp lies reached $715 million. Funding totaled $148 million for contracept ive sierilization and $90 million for abortion services. According to a survey of state health, Medicaid and social service agencies, report ed spending on contraceptive services and supplies increased by 11% be tween 1992 and 1994. In the same period, spending under Title X rose b y 37%, making it the third largest public funding source for contracep tive services and supplies. The largest source of public funds for fam ily planning services continues to be the joint federal-state Medicaid program. Medicaid family planning expenditures increased by only 4% b etween 1992 and 1994, a sizable decrease in growth from previous years . State funds continue to be the second largest source, providing almo st one-quarter of reported public expenditures in 1994. The maternal a nd child health and social services block grants remain relatively min or sources of support nationally although in a handful of states they provide the majority of public-sector funds. State governments were vi rtually the sole source of public support for the 203,200 abortions pr ovided in 1994 to low-income women. Despite the loosening of federal a bortion funding criteria in FY 1994 permitting payment in cases of rap e and incest, federally funded abortions numbered only 282.