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person centered care Person-Centered Contraceptive Care Delivery

Person-centered contraceptive services are an essential component of SRH care that can increase patients’ satisfaction with and participation in that care.4, 55, 81, 82 Person-centered contraceptive care focuses on providing contraception services in alignment with each individual’s values, preferences, needs, and desires. 

This approach presents a shift from previous models that prioritized efficacy and the use of the most effective methods of contraception among patients.83, 84 Instead, providers should offer information about and access to a full range of hormonal and nonhormonal contraceptive options, including permanent and reversible methods, either on-site or by referral, but not prioritize one method over the other. This section outlines key steps for offering person-centered contraceptive care regardless of professional role or service delivery setting.

Person-centered care requires providers to put aside their assumptions and opinions about what they believe is best for the patient to identify and center their patients’ preferences for contraceptives based on their own goals and values. There is no “best” method of contraception for everyone, nor is the success of care defined by contraceptive uptake and use. People may choose not to use contraceptive methods or opt for less effective pregnancy prevention strategies for various reasons, including concerns about side effects, influences from social media or friends’ experiences, shifting or complex needs, religious or personal beliefs, and/or difficulty finding a method that works well for them.85 Providers should also support people interested in using birth control methods for reasons other than contraception. Noncontraceptive indications for some methods include STI prevention; gender-affirming care; menstrual management or suppression; and treatment of acne, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), heavy or painful periods, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis.

  • 4

    Gavin L, Moskosky S, Carter M, et al. Providing quality family planning services: recommendations of CDC and the U.S. Office of Population Affairs. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2014;63(RR-04):1-54.

  • 55

    Dehlendorf C, Vittinghoff E, Fitzpatrick J, et al. A Decision Aid to Help Women Choose and Use a Method of Birth Control. 2023.

  • 81

    Bitzer J, Oppelt P, Deten A. Evaluation of a patient-centred, needs-based approach to support shared decision making in contraceptive counselling: the COCO study. The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care. 2021;26(4):326-333.

  • 82

    Brandi K, Woodhams E, White KO, Mehta PK. An exploration of perceived contraceptive coercion at the time of abortion. Contraception. 2018;97(4):329-334.

  • 83

    American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Patient-Centered Contraceptive Counseling.

  • 84

    Brandi K, Fuentes L. The history of tiered-effectiveness contraceptive counseling and the importance of patient-centered family planning care. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2020;222(4):S873-S877.

  • 85

    Borrero S, Nikolajski C, Steinberg JR, et al. "It just happens": a qualitative study exploring low-income women’s perspectives on pregnancy intention and planning. Contraception. 2015;91(2):150-156.