Contraception Counseling

One strategy for preventing unintended pregnancy is to improve the quality of contraceptive counseling. In family planning care, relational and task-oriented communication can assist providers in meeting patients' needs.

Enhancing women's experiences with contraceptive counseling requires developing close, trusting relationships with them and using shared decision-making approaches that focus on eliciting and responding to their preferences. Counseling about side effects and strategies to encourage contraceptive continuation and adherence can also help optimize women's contraception use.

Family planning services are intended to assist individuals in achieving their reproductive goals. The purpose of family planning care should not be solely to prevent unintended pregnancy, as this does not meet the preferences of all patients or lead to optimal health outcomes. Instead, providers can help people achieve their desired reproductive outcomes by assisting them in making informed decisions about fertility and contraception use that are consistent with their preferences and reproductive goals.