From Funding Cuts to Advocacy: The Movement to Protect Women's Reproductive Health Research

Introduction

Reproductive health research has historically been an underfunded field. Women can find reminders of this at every turn, including finding a disclaimer sheet large enough to be a blanket with their birth control, despite the surge in scientific discovery over the last century. Leading up to and throughout the 21st century, collective efforts began to move forward, and specially created funds highlighted the need to close the research gap. However, these efforts were most recently slashed in the United States by the Trump administration. 

The Current U.S. Reproductive Health Economy

Art by Shea Davis

On August 21st 2025, a Supreme Court decision marked the start of a $783 million budget cut for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-linked topics [1]. This included a $12 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), making any project that includes DEI-related words or topics ineligible for federal funding. Many of these research projects relate to reproductive health, making this decision a regressive effort in the path to closing the research gap.

  The administration followed up in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (a formal public announcement by a federal agency to explain changes to rulemaking) on May 29, 2026. It declared an increase in political interventions in federal grant allocation and made peer review an “optional” addition to the process [2]. Peer review has been a key part of the publication process for every professional field until now. This system ensures all decisions and publications are fair, accurate, and unbiased–the removal of peer review in grant allocation removes that objective lens in major economic decisions.

The Global Impact of U.S. Reproductive Health Decisions

The loss of federal efforts towards reproductive health research in the US also reverberates across the world. July 15th, 2026 marked a 6% cut in the Republicans’ 2027 State, Foreign Operations, and related programs funding bill. In this $2.7 million decrease in international humanitarian efforts from the United States, the proposed bill secured a future where the US pulls its funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) in its work for family planning efforts across the globe [3]. 

This pull effectively causes the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule, where non-governmental operations are forbidden from receiving US global health assistance in the case that they support or administer abortion services [4]. As a result, thousands of families across the world are limited in their options for contraceptives, HIV/AIDS treatments, and more services that would improve the state of reproductive healthcare that the US has previously been contributing to.

This timeline reflects the United States’ current administration's eagerness to maintain a holdback on women’s health. Every step, from lab to clinical implementation, is facing regressive remodels and gutted funding. 

Current Efforts That You Can Get Involved In

Although these policy changes seem daunting, efforts around the world are working towards fixing and improving many aspects of reproductive health. 

To directly address the political shift away from investing in women’s and reproductive health, The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), and the Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) revealed their National Strategy on the same day that the $2.7 million decrease was announced. It calls on Congress to invest $20 billion over the next 10 years in research and clinical implementation, outlining priorities in advocacy, national collaboration, and expansion of clinical and research workforces [5]. In addition to the three main organizations backing this strategy, other organizations stand in support.

To continue educating the general public, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has documented the policy changes that have significantly changed the landscape of Reproductive Health in the US [6]. Although reading all these changes may be discouraging, it is critical to understand what the efforts of advocacy are fighting against, making this an incredibly important effort in the collective endeavor for reproductive justice.

As an individual, you are capable of contributing to these efforts. Most, if not all, of these organizations have opportunities for volunteers and workers to get involved in coordinated efforts such as lobbying, contacting state officials, and making meaningful contributions and connections to help you establish your presence in reproductive justice. So the next time you read these articles about organizations that fight against regressive policy, keep your eyes peeled for a call to action. 

References:

1. Whitehurst -Lindsay, Whitehurst APL, Press A. PBS News [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 Jul 18]. Supreme Court lets Trump cut $783 million of health research funding amid anti-DEI push. Available from: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/supreme-court-lets-trump-cut-783-million-of-health-research-funding-amid-anti-dei-push 

2. Institute MOG. Guttmacher Institute Opposes Proposed Federal Funding Rules That Threaten Reproductive Health Programs and Research | Guttmacher Institute [Internet]. 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 18]. Available from: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2026/guttmacher-institute-opposes-proposed-federal-funding-rules-threaten-reproductive 

3. Republican State, Foreign Operations Funding Bill Surrenders Influence to Adversaries, Threatens Women’s Health Globally, Slashes Humanitarian Aid | House Committee on Appropriations [Internet]. 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 25]. Available from: http://democrats-appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/republican-state-foreign-operations-funding-bill-surrenders-influence 

4. What Is the Global Gag Rule? [Internet]. [cited 2026 Jul 18]. Available from: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/communities/planned-parenthood-global/end-global-gag-rule 

5. Leading Women’s Health Organizations Launch National Strategy to Close the Women’s Health Gap [Internet]. [cited 2026 Jul 18]. Available from: https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2026/07/leading-womens-health-organizations-launch-national-strategy-close-womens-health-gap 

6. The U.S. Federal Government and Reproductive Health [Internet]. [cited 2026 Jul 25]. Available from: https://www.asrm.org/advocacy-and-policy/fact-sheets-and-one-pagers/the-u.s.-federal-government-and-reproductive-health/