HHS Cancelled $38M in Postpartum Grants to Fund Erectile Dysfunction Research
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health cancelled $38 million in grants that had been funding postpartum care and minority health programs. Some of that funding was redirected toward research on sperm count and erectile dysfunction.
The grants supported maternal mental health, postpartum depression screening, and access to care for underserved populations in the months following delivery — a period that accounts for a significant share of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States.
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The postpartum period is the highest-risk window for maternal mortality in the U.S. Mental health complications and overdose are among the leading causes.
The programs that were cut primarily served Black and Latina women, who face maternal mortality rates two to three times higher than white women. HHS offered limited public explanation for the specific reallocation decisions.
For postpartum mental health support resources: postpartum.net.
Source: HHS Office of Minority Health grant records. Maternie reporting, 2025.