Family Planning, Coverage and Education

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 unintended 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.

The AAFP supports standardizing care to manage pain and anxiety during office-based gynecologic procedures, including intrauterine device insertion. Physicians should counsel patients on available options for pain and anxiety control, and the AAFP encourages further research to improve these management strategies.

Entities that provide pregnancy or abortion services must clearly and honestly communicate the services they offer and any referrals before care begins. They should support oversight mechanisms for organizations offering pregnancy-related services and counseling, and ensure that all care is delivered by qualified, licensed professionals in compliance with federal health information privacy laws. Entities should advocate for public funding of organizations that provide complete, non-directive, and medically accurate information to help patients make informed and voluntary decisions.

(2011 COD) (July 2026 BOD)