Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114437

Laura Duberstein Lindberg, PhD and Jennifer J. Frost, DrPH. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, 831-724-2450, jfrost@guttmacher.org

Publicly-funded family planning clinics are a critical source of contraceptive and gynecological care for millions of low-income American women. In order to monitor women's access to contraceptive care and services, we report the findings from a unique nationally representative survey of publicly-funded family planning agencies conducted in 2003 and compare these data with prior rounds conducted in 1995 and 1999. We focus on describing change in the introduction of newer contraceptives, policies around method provision, provision of other health care services, and funding issues. By 2003, the contraceptive patch and the vaginal ring were widely available. Availability of both male and female sterilization also increased. The share of non-Title X clinics dispensing emergency contraception declined from 1999 (61%) to 2003 (52%), while it was relatively stable at over 90% among Title X clinics in both years. More agencies adopted policies to improve access, such as delaying a pelvic exam when obtaining oral contraceptives, or prescribing emergency contraception in advance or over the phone. Provision of other health services shifted. From 1995 to 2003, the proportion of family planning agencies also offering primary care services to clients increased from 48% to 55%, while the share offering prenatal care, infertility counseling or mid-life health programs declined. The share of family planning agencies holding managed care contracts, with Medicaid or private plans, stabilized from 1999-2003 after substantial increases during the 1990s. Overall, publicly-funded agencies demonstrate a range of approaches to meeting low-income women's family planning needs.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Describe the current state of services provided by publicly-funded family planning clinics
• 2. Identify key changes in service provision relevant to women’s access to care
• 3. Compare Title X and non-Title X agencies in their services and policies around family planning

Keywords: Family Planning, Service Delivery

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation