Family Planning Specialist

What is the importance of family planning?

There are many ways that pregnancy and parenthood affect your life, and timing may be a critically important factor to the success with which you incorporate children into your life. For those who want to become sexually active without reproducing, some form of birth control is needed. Young families, for example, may wish to establish themselves with education and careers before adding the responsibility of raising children.

Family planning may also involve those who have trouble conceiving. Fertility therapy helps those who have tried, but have not yet conceived, usually after about a year of trying. In either case, the medical professionals at Allied Health Solutions can help you meet your family planning goals.

What are some birth control methods?

Unsurprisingly, forms of birth control that depend on personal behavior have the highest failure rates. Methods such as abstinence, withdrawal, and fertility awareness – including the so-called rhythm method – depend on restraint and discipline, and frequently fail when the desire for sex interferes.

Barrier methods block the passage between eggs and sperm, making it physically impossible for conception to happen. These methods include condoms – both male and female – diaphragms, birth control sponges, and cervical caps.

Hormonal methods of birth control are one of the most widely used methods, particularly birth control pills. However, there are many other methods that incorporate the introduction of hormones to prevent ovulation. These include:  

• Birth control pills
• Birth control patches
• Birth control implants
• Birth control shots
• Vaginal rings
• Some types of intrauterine devices (IUDs)

IUDs represent the reversible birth control method with the longest effective treatment duration. Permanent birth control methods include tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men.

What can I expect at a family planning consultation?

Since family planning is such a personal decision, your questions will drive the conversation during the appointment. The Allied Health Solutions caregiver you meet can answer your questions on birth control methods, fertility counseling, prenatal care, as well as related topics. For example, some birth control methods require a period of transition between discontinued use and attempts to get pregnant. You can expect to receive the most up-to-date information regarding your birth control choice.