More Men Seeking Family Planning Advice and Services

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ghenet Besera, MPH National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion CDC MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The Title X program, established in 1970, offers confidential family planning and related preventive services to both men and women. While most clients are women, Title X also promotes use of services by men through delivery of male-focused services. Men’s family planning needs include services not only relate to contraception, but also relate to preconception care, infertility, and STD/ HIV services, which affect their reproductive health and overall health. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? Response: More men are visiting Title X Family Planning Program sites. From 2003-2014, a total of nearly 4 million men visited Title X service sites in the 50 states and District of Columbia. The percent of male clients nearly doubled from 4.5 percent in 2003 to 8.8 percent in 2014. The percentage of clients that were male also varied widely from state to state, from 1 percent or less in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama to 27.2 percent in the District of Columbia. MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? Response: The finding that more men are seeking these services at Title X sites is encouraging, especially given the opportunity to offer related preventive services at the family planning visit. More men are accessing services related to family planning, achieving pregnancy when desired, and services that can affect their overall health, such as preventing or addressing sexually transmitted infections. MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study? Response: Future research could examine men’s receipt of sexual and reproductive health services in other health care settings. This would be important to assess to see if the increase in males seeking family planning services at Title X clinics, is true for other healthcare settings. MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Response: In 2014, CDC and OPA published Providing Quality Family Planning Services: Recommendations of CDC and the U.S. Office of Population Affairs, which describes services that should be offered in a family planning visit, and guidance for providing those services to both men and women. Health care providers can adopt the framework used by Title X clinics to better provide family planning and related preventive health services to men. MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community. Citation: Besera G, Moskosky S, Pazol K, et al. Male Attendance at Title X Family Planning Clinics — United States, 2003–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:602–605. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6523a3. Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions. More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com

Ghenet Besera

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Ghenet Besera, MPH
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The Title X program, established in 1970, offers confidential family planning and related preventive services to both men and women. While most clients are women, Title X also promotes use of services by men through delivery of male-focused services. Men’s family planning needs include services not only related to contraception, but also related to preconception care, infertility, and STD/ HIV services, which affect their reproductive health and overall health.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: More men are visiting Title X Family Planning Program sites. From 2003-2014, a total of nearly 4 million men visited Title X service sites in the 50 states and District of Columbia. The percent of male clients nearly doubled from 4.5 percent in 2003 to 8.8 percent in 2014. The percentage of clients that were male also varied widely from state to state, from 1 percent or less in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama to 27.2 percent in the District of Columbia.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The finding that more men are seeking these services at Title X sites is encouraging, especially given the opportunity to offer related preventive services at the family planning visit. More men are accessing services related to family planning, achieving pregnancy when desired, and services that can affect their overall health, such as preventing or addressing sexually transmitted infections.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Future research could examine men’s receipt of sexual and reproductive health services in other health care settings. This would be important to assess to see if the increase in males seeking family planning services at Title X clinics, is true for other healthcare settings.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: In 2014, CDC and OPA published Providing Quality Family Planning Services: Recommendations of CDC and the U.S. Office of Population Affairs, which describes services that should be offered in a family planning visit, and guidance for providing those services to both men and women. Health care providers can adopt the framework used by Title X clinics to better provide family planning and related preventive health services to men.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Besera G, Moskosky S, Pazol K, et al. Male Attendance at Title X Family Planning Clinics — United States, 2003–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:602–605. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6523a3.

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com.

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Last Updated on June 21, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD