Achieving Prosperity: The Title X Factor in Reducing Poverty

Abstract

The Title X program grants federal funds to clinics providing family planning and contraceptive services to low-income clients. Research indicates a relationship between access to contraception and poverty rates, but little is known about the effects of the Title X program specifically, which provides funding to clinics for contraception, contraceptive education, preventative healthcare, counseling, and confidential care for minors. This paper estimates the effect Title X clinics have on poverty rates using state-level Title X clinic and poverty data in the years 2010 and 2015. I use a two-by-two difference-in-differences method that controls for time-invariant confounding factors to identify the relationship between Title X clinics and poverty. I also estimate the effect that Title X clinics have on bachelor's degree attainment to identify the impact of the resource effect on poverty reduction. I find that Title X clinics reduce poverty by 1.541 percentage points and increase bachelor's degree attainment by 0.33 percentage points, indicating that Title X clinics reduce poverty at least in part by increasing educational opportunities. These results corroborate the research that finds a negative relationship between access to contraception and poverty while applying it directly to the Title X federal program. Understanding this relationship and the implications of Title X beyond fertility rates and reproductive health can provide a more comprehensive guide for maximizing its beneficial effects.