Family Planning

Who ProvidesFamily Planning?Many different people can learn to inform and advise people about familyplanning and to provide family planning methods. Countries and programshave various guidelines about who can offer which methods and where, andsome have rules that differ depending on whether the client is starting anew method or is continuing a method. Still, in countries around the worldthese people commonly provide family planning:óóóóóóóóóóóNurses, nurse-midwives, nurse-practitionersAuxiliary nurse-midwivesMidwivesPhysicians, including gynecologists and obstetriciansPhysicians’ assistants, physicians’ associatesPharmacists, pharmacists’ assistants, chemistsPrimary health care providers, community health care providersCommunity-based health workers and community members serving ascommunity-based distributorsSpecifically trained traditional birth attendantsShopkeepers and vendorsVolunteers, experienced users of family planning, peer educators, andcommunity leadersSpecific training helps all these people do a better job at providing familyplanning. Training needs to cover skills in informing and counseling clientsabout choosing and using specific methods as well as teaching any specifictechnical skills such as how to give injections or insert an IUD. Checklistscan help a wide range of providers and managers in various ways, such asscreening clients for medical eligibility criteria, making sure all steps in aprocess are carried out (such as infection prevention), and assuring goodquality of services.MethodOral contraceptives,combined patch,combined vaginalringEmergencycontraceptive pillsWho can provide?óAll providers with training, including briefspecific training.ó All providers.310 Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers