Patient-Centered Contraceptive Counseling
Clinical Service Goal
Information and education about contraceptive methods and how to prevent unintended pregnancy is important to share with all adolescent patients. For adolescents who want to delay or prevent pregnancy, counsel about method selection using a patient-centered approach that is respectful of and responsive to each patients’ preferences, needs, and values.
Strategies
Implementation Tips
- Consider who on the care team should be trained to deliver contraceptive counseling (e.g., health educators, nurses, medical assistants)
- Build in opportunities for role playing in which staff can practice using new counseling skills
- Include content that covers how to provide counseling in a non-biased manner that is respectful of the patient’s preferences and values
Tools & Resources
Patient-centered Contraceptive Counseling Tools
Recorded presentation with guidance on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) counseling, respecting an individual’s decision not to use LARC, and removing LARC when requested
Recorded presentation that reviews key principles of patient-centered counseling and discusses how to offer non-judgmental contraceptive counseling in challenging, real-world situations
Recorded presentation that explores ethical guidelines for providing contraceptive care and counseling and examines how unconscious bias can influence the way care team members talk with young people about their contraceptive options and how different approaches to counseling may advance or hinder reproductive autonomy (Addresses racism or other forms of discrimination)
Set of online courses designed to increase knowledge and skills to deliver quality client-centered and culturally competent contraceptive services to patients using a team-based approach; free registration required
Health Equity Resources
Recorded presentation that describes the principles of reproductive justice practice with adolescents; free registration required before being directed to video (Addresses racism or other forms of discrimination)
Self-led training designed to teach clinical learners about systems of power and legacies of structural oppression and how they impact patient care (Addresses racism or other forms of discrimination)
Implementation Tips
- Provide staff with ongoing support and structure to reflect and improve upon their delivery of the contraceptive counseling framework
- Patient-centered frameworks that support shared decision-making with the patient can reduce opportunities for bias and coercion
- Use birth control options job aid or demonstrate options to help patient visualize their choices
Tools & Resources
Patient-centered approach to contraceptive counseling; also called the Contraceptive Action Plan (CAP) 5-Step Contraceptive Counseling Model
Tool for assessing the extent to which staff are applying the CAP 5-Step Contraceptive Counseling Model
Job aids that support use of the PATH Framework to discuss reproductive health goals and conduct patient-centered contraceptive counseling with patients; also available in Spanish
Job aid that describes contraceptive options; for use during counseling
Implementation tips
- Provide handouts for parents in the waiting room
- Provide a section on the health center website that includes resources for parents
Tools & Resources
Infobrief that provides parents with information on common contraceptive methods and tips to support adolescent receipt of contraceptive services
Infobrief that provides parents with information on talking about sex, relationships, and how to prevent HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy; common contraceptive methods, including effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages; also available in Spanish
