Voters will decide whether to enshrine reproductive rights in Virginia’s constitution later this year. But there may be an even bigger obstacle for those seeking care.
“Reproductive health care is about access, and whether Virginians have the right protected in the state constitution, but also whether they can actually access care — whether there are providers in their communities and whether they can afford it,” said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
A combination of federal and state funding cuts, policy changes and budget uncertainty is threatening programs that provide birth control and preventive care, especially for low-income patients who rely on subsidized services.
Lockhart said recent federal defunding could cost Virginia’s Planned Parenthood roughly $1.3 million and affect more than 8,000 patient visits each year, including contraception and preventive care such as STI and HPV screenings.
At the same time, uncertainty around Title X — the nation’s primary federal program for low-cost contraception and preventive care — has forced providers to reapply for funding on short notice amid delayed guidance from the Trump administration.
Lockhart said that has been raising concerns about interruptions in care.
Anna Peoples, owner of People’s Pharmacy in Norfolk, said reduced funding could limit access to contraception and push patients to seek care elsewhere — or not at all.
“That's disturbing,” Peoples said. “We have a lot of students that are dependent on that funding, so that's going to really affect quite a bit of people.”
State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) said the federal government has shifted away from prioritizing women’s health by cutting the funds, and that Virginia “is not going to walk away from those values.”
“We are trying to bolster the health care system that we know Virginians need and we are avoiding conflict with federal law, and if that means forfeiting federal dollars, then so be it,” Favola said.
At the state level, organizations like Planned Parenthood have been asking Virginia to use general funds to backfill gaps left by federal cuts and to prioritize the Virginia Contraceptive Access Initiative, a state program that helps low-income patients access free birth control.
The initiative is funded in part through federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, dollars that are passed through the state.
Because those funds come with federal eligibility rules, changes at the federal level could mean some patients no longer qualify for services under the state program, said Del. Rodney Willett (D-Henrico).
“We'll have more reproductive health protections in Virginia than any other state in the south and be amongst the most protected in the whole country,” Willett said. “But if you don't have health insurance, if you don't have access to free health care, it's all moot point.”
Willett said lawmakers are considering using state funds to replace federal dollars, but doing so would require new spending in an already strained budget, with resources also needed to cover declining support for federal programs such as SNAP and the Affordable Care Act.
“We look at the budget every year, and if we don't protect all of that, we certainly will try again next time,” Willett said.
