U.S. Policies & Funding

The United States has supported family planning, reproductive health, and population programs as part of its foreign assistance program since 1965 and remains a leader among donor nations in both technical and financial terms. Beginning in the 1980s, however, domestic debates over abortion spilled over into the international arena, helping to erode longstanding bipartisan support for U.S. international population assistance. Since then, efforts from some corners have had some success in reducing U.S. financial support for family planning overseas and to attach onerous funding and policy restrictions.

Bilateral funding for family planning and reproductive health is channeled through the United States Agency for International Development. Historically, the United States has been a significant contributor to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – an instrumental multilateral organization with programs in over 140 countries—and was in fact one of the founders of the institution. However, in recent years, President Bush has withheld the U.S. contribution to UNFPA due to unfounded allegations about UNFPA’s program in China.

U.S. leadership in family planning and reproductive health programs extends beyond sheer dollar amounts— other governments, multilateral institutions and NGOs rely on the United States for technical expertise and are very much affected by policies the United States attaches to its funding. These policies and funding levels are very much guided by U.S. politics—with ramifications for reproductive health services and supplies, including contraceptives, around the world. And in some countries, contributions from donor countries or organizations provide the only source of funding for reproductive health and family planning programs, including contraceptive supplies and services.

Global attention on HIV/AIDS has increased exponentially in the last decade, and theUnited States. is a major player in the attempts to address this devastating epidemic. With the creation of President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), selected countries are the recipients of an influx of U.S. assistance. But that desperately-needed funding is hampered by misguided restrictions and selection criteria that warrants examination.

Some U.S. policies have had unfortunate consequences, restricting access to services and contraceptives or curtailing human rights. Through the Policy Impact Project, Population Action International (PAI) examines U.S. funding for sexual and reproductive health and the policies that govern it—including the global gag rule and abstinence-only requirements—to document their effect on the ground.

PAI supports policies and programs that increase access to voluntary family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services, as well as educational and economic opportunities for girls and women. Working in close partnership with development, reproductive health, women's rights and environmental groups, PAI reaches out to U.S. policymakers in Congress and the Executive Branch to stress the continued importance of population assistance.