The American Academy of Family Physicians supports policies and legislation that require public and private payers to provide coverage, without patient cost-sharing, for all Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, including over-the-counter methods, elective sterilization procedures, and Long-Acting Reversible Contraception. Coverage should include education and counseling for all methods. Adequate payment should be provided for procedures throughout the care continuum, including the immediate postpartum period, and in all care settings.
Physicians should provide patient education and counseling to all patients with reproductive capacity to decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies. This should include information on the effectiveness of all methods, including abstinence and fertility awareness-based methods, where to obtain contraceptive methods (including sterilization and emergency contraception) and which methods protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
(2011 COD) (October 2025 COD)