21 Million Women Live Where Birth Control Clinics Can’t Meet Demand
New mapping data released in September 2026 by Power to Decide and the Guttmacher Institute shows that more than 21 million women who need low- or no-cost contraception live in counties where publicly funded clinics cannot meet estimated demand. The maps draw on data through 2023 and allow county-level lookups across the United States.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, researchers counted 29 publicly funded clinics serving a population of approximately 300,000 women estimated to need affordable contraception. The researchers calculated that those clinics are meeting roughly 8 percent of the estimated need in the county.
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The 2023 data does not yet capture recent clinic closures. And the maps deliberately exclude telehealth and pharmacy contraception, for a reason that matters when you look at what those options can and cannot replace.
The methodology counts publicly funded facilities only: Title X grantees, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and similar programs. Researchers made this choice intentionally, because telehealth and pharmacy access do not replace in-person care for patients who need STI testing, pelvic exams, counseling, or long-acting methods like IUDs and implants. Those services require a physical clinic visit.
The 2023 cutoff means the maps were compiled before recent closures of Planned Parenthood affiliates and other Title X providers in multiple states. Researchers expect the gaps shown are likely undercounts of the current situation. Power to Decide and Guttmacher say they plan to update the maps as more recent data becomes available.
Source: Power to Decide + Guttmacher Institute, “Contraceptive Access Maps,” September 2026