Let's expand the left side of the equation and simplify:

(3x-2)(3x+2) = 9x^2 + 6x - 6x - 4 = 9x^2 - 4

(3x+1)(3x+1) = 9x^2 + 3x + 3x + 1 = 9x^2 + 6x + 1

Now, we can substitute these values back into the equation:

9x^2 - 4 - (9x^2 + 6x + 1) = -17

9x^2 - 4 - 9x^2 - 6x - 1 = -17

-10x - 5 = -17

-10x = -12

x = 1.2

Therefore, the solution to the equation is x = 1.2.