The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) administers the Reproductive Health and Wellness Program (RHWP), which aims to comprehensively address reproductive health and wellness issues, including family planning, with a focus on populations in greatest need and identified priorities. The program's goal is to improve the overall health and well-being of women and men by promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging the establishment of a reproductive life plan. Services provided by RHWP clinics include contraceptive education, screening for cervical and breast cancer, and screening for chronic and infectious diseases.
The RHWP is funded through Federal Title X of the Public Health Service Act, the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, and general revenue funds. Family planning clinics in Ohio receive funds to provide services, with priority given to individuals with low incomes and those with no insurance or insurance that does not cover reproductive health services. Fees for services are based on family size and income, and no one is denied services if they cannot pay. There is no residency requirement to receive services.
The RHWP has been a Title X grant recipient since the 1970s, offering services across the state through a large network of subrecipient agencies and service sites, including city or county health departments, freestanding reproductive health centers, and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). As a Title X recipient, ODH provides a broad range of family planning services, including pregnancy prevention and birth spacing, pregnancy testing and counseling, assistance to achieve pregnancy, basic infertility services, sexually transmitted infection (STI) services, and other preconception health services. These services are voluntary, confidential, and provided regardless of ability to pay.
The program has experienced significant growth over the years. For example, RHWP targets preconception health by developing a reproductive life plan with every client. In fiscal year 2024, the annual funding for the program was $7,040,000.
