Who provides family planning?
Many different people can learn to inform and advise people about family planning and to provide family planning methods. Countries and programs have various guidelines about who can offer which methods and where, and some have rules that differ depending on whether the client is starting a new method or is continuing a method. Still, in countries around the world these people commonly provide family planning: • Nurses, nurse-midwives, nurse-practitioners • Auxiliary nurse-midwives • Midwives • Physicians, including gynecologists and obstetricians • Physicians’ assistants, physicians’ associates • Pharmacists, pharmacists’ assistants, chemists • Primary health care providers, community health care providers • Community-based health workers and community members serving as community-based distributors • Specifically trained traditional birth attendants • Shopkeepers and vendors • Volunteers, experienced users of family planning, peer educators, and community leaders Specific training he
