Planned Parenthood provided 9.9 million individual services to roughly 2.09 million patients in its most recent reporting year, and the vast majority of those services have nothing to do with abortion. The organization functions primarily as a reproductive and sexual health clinic, with STI testing, birth control, cancer screenings, and general wellness visits making up the bulk of what happens inside its doors.
STI Testing and Treatment
Sexually transmitted infection services are by far the largest category of care Planned Parenthood delivers, totaling over 5.5 million services in the most recent annual report. That’s more than half of everything the organization does. Health centers test for and treat chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, HPV, trichomoniasis, and other infections. Many centers also provide PrEP, a daily pill that prevents HIV infection, which has become an increasingly important part of sexual health care.
Cost is often a barrier to STI testing elsewhere. Planned Parenthood centers frequently offer free or low-cost testing based on income, and some are covered by government programs. For people without insurance or a primary care doctor, these clinics serve as one of the most accessible places to get screened.
Birth Control Information and Services
Contraception is the second-largest service category, with nearly 2.3 million birth control services provided annually. The range of options available is broad. Health centers prescribe and provide birth control pills, patches, vaginal rings, and the shot (given every three months). They also place and remove long-acting methods like IUDs, which last 3 to 12 years, and the arm implant, which lasts up to 5 years. Both are 99% effective.
For people who want permanent options, many centers perform tubal ligations and vasectomies. Emergency contraception, which can prevent pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex, is also available. Clinicians walk patients through the pros and cons of each method, including hormone content, effectiveness rates, and how each one fits into daily life. A significant number of these visits now happen through telehealth, with over 320,000 telehealth appointments across the organization.
Cancer Screenings and Prevention
Planned Parenthood provided nearly 390,000 cancer screening and prevention services in its most recent year. This includes Pap tests, which detect abnormal cervical cells before they become cancerous, and HPV tests, since certain strains of HPV can lead to cervical cancer. Clinical breast exams help identify lumps or changes that may need follow-up imaging like a mammogram.
HPV vaccination is another piece of cancer prevention offered at many locations. Because HPV is sexually transmitted and is the primary cause of cervical cancer, catching it early or preventing it through vaccination is one of the most effective cancer prevention tools available for younger patients.
Pregnancy Services Beyond Abortion
Many Planned Parenthood health centers provide pregnancy testing, early prenatal care, and postpartum visits. For patients who want to continue a pregnancy, clinicians can connect them with full prenatal care providers if the local center doesn’t offer comprehensive obstetric services. Centers also provide miscarriage care and support, along with evaluation for early pregnancy concerns like pain or bleeding.
Not every location offers the same scope of pregnancy-related services. Availability depends on the specific health center, its staffing, and state regulations. But the baseline of pregnancy testing, referrals, and early care is common across the network.
Men’s Health Services
Planned Parenthood isn’t exclusively for women. Men can receive STI testing and treatment, condoms and safer sex supplies, and reproductive health checkups that include testicular cancer screening, prostate exams, and colon cancer screening referrals. Some centers also provide exams and treatment referrals for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, urinary tract infection testing, and male infertility screening.
Vasectomy is available at many locations, often at reduced cost through insurance or government programs. Men can also access PrEP for HIV prevention.
Gender-Affirming Care
Most Planned Parenthood health centers now provide hormone therapy for transgender and nonbinary patients. This includes estrogen and anti-androgen therapy for transgender women, testosterone therapy for transgender men, and puberty blockers. Centers also offer surgery referrals and support with social and legal aspects of transition. For many trans patients, particularly in areas with few specialists, Planned Parenthood is the most accessible provider of gender-affirming hormone care.
Sex Education and Community Outreach
Beyond clinical services, Planned Parenthood runs one of the largest sex education operations in the country. In its most recent year, 1.3 million people participated in education programming, outreach, and training. The organization’s website drew 110 million visits, making it one of the most-used sexual health resources online.
Community programs cover topics like contraception, STI prevention, healthy relationships, and adolescent development. These efforts run alongside federally supported programs like the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, which funds evidence-based curricula in over two dozen states. Research on these types of programs has identified more than 50 curricula that meet effectiveness criteria, showing outcomes like increased contraceptive use and reduced rates of STIs and unintended pregnancy among adolescents.
How Patients Pay for Services
Planned Parenthood accepts most health insurance plans and works with patients who don’t have coverage. Many centers use a sliding fee scale based on income, meaning the less you earn, the less you pay. Staff can also help uninsured patients enroll in insurance plans or connect with state and local programs that cover birth control, STI testing, or other care at no cost.
The price of any visit depends on the service, your insurance, your income, and what funding the specific health center receives. For someone without insurance, this structure often makes Planned Parenthood significantly cheaper than an urgent care clinic or private practice for the same sexual health services. It’s one of the main reasons the organization serves as a de facto primary care provider for reproductive health in many communities, particularly in underserved areas.