Family Planning

What is family planning?

Family planning is the process of putting the right birth control measures in place to make sure you don’t get pregnant until you’re ready. It’s an excellent way to ensure you don’t become a mother until you want to, but it’s not just for women who haven’t had a baby yet. Family planning ensures that you only have additional children when you want them, freeing up your focus so you can engage more deeply with the children you already have. 

What kind of family planning services are available?

Curry Family Medicine offers a wide range of family planning services. You can get help to find the right birth control methods for your body and your short- and long-term goals. 

For example, if you know you won’t want children for a long time, an intrauterine device (IUD) that prevents pregnancy for as long as a decade is available. Or if you just had a baby and know you want to wait a few years before your next child, Nexplanon®, a type of birth control implanted in your arm, works for up to four years.

Curry Family Medicine offers every kind of birth control available today, including shorter-lasting options like the pill, the shot, and the patch. But the practice knows that women lead busy lives. To give you a birth control option, you don’t have to think about or manage regularly, they recommend IUDs and Nexplanon.

What’s the process like for getting long-lasting birth control?

Curry Family Medicine is certified in IUD and Nexplanon insertion and removal. Your practitioner talks with you before the process, so you know what to expect. 

If you choose an IUD, implantation into your uterus is a quick (usually five minutes or less) procedure. Your Curry Family Medicine practitioner places the IUD by opening your vagina with a speculum, passing through your cervical canal, and positioning the device. You may experience some cramping after your IUD placement, but it will dissipate in a day or so. 

Getting Nexplanon is a similarly quick procedure. After numbing the inner upper part of your arm, your Curry Family Medicine practitioner implants the Nexplanon rod. The incision for placement is small and heals quickly.

To learn more about your family planning options, call Curry Family Medicine or schedule your appointment online.