Family Planning and Reproductive Health

Overview

The Alaska Department of Health wants to make sure that Alaskans of all ages can choose when and if they want to have children, and get access to the services they need to plan healthy pregnancies.

Why is it important to plan your pregnancy?

If you make a plan for getting pregnant instead of letting it “just happen”, you can avoid using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs that could harm your baby or yourself during your pregnancy. Also, you may want to achieve certain educational or work goals before having children. These could include graduating from high school or college. Or you may want to have a stable, well-paying job so that you can better support a family when or if you decide to have children.

What do family planning services and reproductive health services include?

Family Planning and reproductive health services can include the following:

• a wide range of current contraceptive methods, supplies, and techniques (such as natural family planning);
• counseling and referral for permanent sterilization services (vasectomy and tubal ligation);
• Counseling and screening for sexually-transmitted infections or HIV
• screenings and exams for cancer or other diseases.

In addition to the clinical services listed above, your health care provider also may offer resources and information about teens and adolescent health, including:

• counseling and education on the benefits of sexual abstinence and parents’ involvement in the family planning decisions of young adults, and education about healthy relationships;
• Sexually-transmitted infection/HIV prevention and risk reduction;
• and education, counseling, and referral for pregnancy options.

Where can you find family planning and reproductive health services in Alaska?

You can find low cost, confidential family planning services at the following locations that are supported by the State’s Division of Public Health:

• Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic in Homer
• Municipality of Anchorage Health Department
• State Public Health Centers; just call your local public health center to find out what family planning and reproductive health services they offer.
  

All of the health care providers listed above provide these services on a sliding discount schedule, based on your income and family size. No one is denied services based on inability to pay. These centers also accommodate people with special needs.

Finally, some community health centers and private offices in Alaska offer the full range of family planning and reproductive health services described above. For information about the services offered in your community, you can simply dial "211" from anywhere in Alaska! If that doesn’t work, dial 1-800-478-2221, or visit "Alaska 211" on the web. Tip: use "women’s health" or "birth control" as keywords in your search.

You also can contact your nearest State Public Health Center or your local phone directory, or send an email to the State Family Planning Program for help finding a health care provider or for general program information. State staff are available Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, (excluding holidays) and will reply to your message as soon as they can.

Questions?

For questions about your personal family planning and reproductive health needs or immediate health care concerns, please contact your nearest State Public Health Center or other local health care provider or hospital (refer to your local telephone directory for listings). Also, be sure to visit our Women’s Health web page for more information on other health concerns that may affect your reproductive health.