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  • Title: Family planning services -- what's new.
    Author: Furedi A.
    Journal: Womens Health Newsl; 1993; (18):6. PubMed ID: 12222517.
    Abstract:
    The UK's Department of Health listed the following goals in its Health f the Nation report: reduction in the number of unplanned pregnancies, provision of effective family planning services, and an at least 50% reduction in the number and rate of pregnancies girls younger than 16 by the year 2000. The report did not specify, however, how to achieve these goals. Clinics in many areas provide poor family planning services. For example, in a recent overview, 49.6% of UK clinics had no more than 1 family planning clinic a week. Just 54% had evening clinics. Less than 3% had a session on the weekends. Often women who prefer to go to a family planning clinic for contraceptive advice rather than to a general practitioner (GP) cannot use the family planning clinics. Teenagers often prefer a family planning clinic because they fear that the GP will not guard their confidentiality or they are uncomfortable talking with the physician who managed their childhood conditions. That there are few clinic sessions is particularly a problem in rural areas, where women depend on buses. King's Healthcare's family planning services has lost 1 physician and 2 clinic sessions, even though the abortion rate in the Camberwell area of south London is very high. Further, 5 more clinics will drop family planning sessions. Funding has been cut to the southeast London's family planning training unit, as have staff hours at other clinics. The number of physicians at all sessions, have been reduced from more than 1 physician to just 1. The Department of Health plans on including contraceptives on a list of drugs and devices for which the National Health Services [NHS] will not longer pay. The more expensive oral contraceptives are expected to be on the list. Excluding contraceptives from NHS payment will likely increase the number of unplanned pregnancies. On the positive side, the Department of Health has increased support for youth projects and funding for abortion services.
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