Privately funded program expands access to birth control in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas has launched a new privately funded program aimed at expanding access to birth control for eligible patients in El Paso.

The 12-month Birth Control for All/Toma Control initiative is supported by more than $1 million from private donors. The funding will allow qualifying patients to receive birth control at no cost.

“We are so thrilled to roll out this initiative,” Cecili Chadwick, philanthropy and community affairs officer for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said. “It is a $1 million investment in the El Paso community to provide birth control, regardless of cost.”

To qualify, patients must be uninsured and have an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

The program includes hormonal and nonhormonal birth control methods, including longer-acting options such as intrauterine devices and implants. Patients can also receive pain management for IUD and implant insertions and removals.

The initiative follows the loss of $650,000 in federal funding for Planned Parenthood’s El Paso health center. In March 2025, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas was notified that its federal Title X grant was being withheld.

Planned Parenthood said the funding had supported birth control and other health care services in El Paso. According to the organization, IUD insertions at its El Paso center dropped 40% following the loss.

Rep. Veronica Escobar said the private donations will help offset some of the federal cuts.

“Cutting programs and funding really hurts all of us,” Escobar said. “It hurts our economy. It hurts employers, it hurts families.”

Chadwick said the initiative is intended to help El Pasoans who may otherwise be unable to afford their preferred form of birth control.

“We have really high rates of uninsured populations in El Paso. We also have high rates of poverty,” Chadwick said. “This initiative allows for people who do not have the resources to access birth control to have choices about when and if to start a family.”

Planned Parenthood officials said the program is already in place. Patients may contact the organization’s El Paso health center to schedule a consultation and determine whether they qualify.

For more information, visit Planned Parenthood’s website.

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