CDC Contraception Guidelines Improve Access to Care at Georgia Title X Clinics

By Shelby Crosier

The Title X family planning program funds clinics across the U.S. that provide reproductive health care services like contraceptives, pregnancy testing, and breast and cervical cancer screenings at low or no cost. For many low-income people, Title X clinics are their only consistent source of medical care and their only way to access contraception.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides contraception guidelines to health care providers to help them provide high quality contraception care to their patients. These guidelines are especially critical in safety net programs like Title X clinics where patients already face more barriers to accessing family planning services.

In a new study, Sophia Garbarino, a PhD student in the Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, spoke with health care providers at Title X clinics in Georgia to learn about their experiences using the CDC contraception guidelines.

What They Found

The study found that the CDC contraception guidelines are a trusted resource among health care professionals at Georgia Title X clinics.

Health care providers use the CDC contraception guidelines to:

• Teach clinical trainees how to provide high-quality contraceptive care
• Educate patients on the risks and benefits of different contraceptive options
• Practice shared decision-making with their patients

The study also found that the CDC contraception guideline in combination with Title X funding allows patients to start their chosen contraception method on the day they choose it, rather than coming back for a second appointment. This helps patients overcome barriers like lack of transportation that could keep them from receiving the care they need.

Why This Matters

“This work is among the first to capture the importance of using the CDC contraception guidelines,” says Garbarino. “It will also help inform future implementation of the guidelines, leading to higher quality care and better access to contraception.”