Family Planning

We provide technical assistance and training to family planning providers and promote comprehensive sexual health education and services for low-income Californians.

Bald woman smiling at the camera

What We Do

Our team of health educators, communicators, and education specialists provides a wide array of capacity-building tools and technical assistance training to health providers in the family planning realm, from online course development to communications strategies, to coordinating and moderating webinars. Currently, our team provides support to California’s Family Planning Access Care and Treatment (Family PACT) Program—an innovative approach to providing free, comprehensive family planning services to low-income individuals, including adolescents.

Who We Are

The ability to plan if, when, and how many children to have is fundamental to the health of teens, adults, and society as a whole. Currently youth, Latinx, and Black communities experience higher rates of unplanned pregnancy, negative experiences in birthing, and barriers to contraceptive and pregnancy options. In some regions of the U.S., abortion may be legal, but it is inaccessible. Fear of stigma dissuades some individuals from seeking family planning services and prenatal care. We work to make all family planning options available to people of all genders so they can control their lives and destinies.

We operate within a reproductive rights framework that recognizes “…the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence” (World Health Organization).

Woman practicing using a speculum on a dummy pelvis

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Sexual and Reproductive Health Care for People with Disabilities

Wed, May 10, 2023 12:00 PM – 1:45 PM PDT

According to the National Survey of Family Growth, approximately 12% of “women of childbearing age” have a disability, and yet our educational and training programs devote little to no time in preparing us to provide accessible, appropriate, quality services to these populations. This webinar will define the population, identify the sexual and reproductive health needs, barriers to health care and health care disparities for people with disabilities, and present best practices.

Objectives:
1. Develop an inclusive definition of the populations that comprise people with disabilities
2. Identify sexual and reproductive health needs, barriers to health care and healthcare disparities for people with disabilities
3. Outline best practices for providing sexual and reproductive health care for people with disabilities
4. Identify concrete actions providers can take to improve access to and quality of sexual and reproductive health care for people with disabilities
5. Become knowledgeable on language, culture, and medical equipment suggestions

Learn more and register

Check back here for upcoming trainings!

Learning Resources

Explore these and other online learning opportunities from the rest of the CAPTC’s programs in our Online Learning database.

Webinar

Reproductive and Sexual Health Considerations for Transgender and Nonbinary People
Reproductive and Sexual Health Considerations for Transgender and Nonbinary People December 16, 2022 Description This webinar is presented by Gayge Maggio, FNP-BC, AAHIVS and will focus on the reproductive and sexual health needs/considerations of transgender and gender non-conforming people. There will be a focus on learning to approach sexual health in a culturally sensitive, non-judgmental […]

Webinar

Person-Centered Contraception Counseling for Family PACT Clients
October 19, 2022 Description Quality contraceptive care is more than just knowing the facts about all available birth control methods. In order for clients to select methods and get what they want from their birth control, it is crucial to provide contraceptive counseling that helps people identify their preferences in the context of their lives, […]

Webinar

Talking with Family PACT Clients About HPV Immunization
August 17, 2022 Description: Since the first HPV vaccines were introduced in 2006, rates of cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers have decreased in immunized populations. Family PACT will add HPV immunization as a benefit in July 2022 and will utilize guidelines developed by the CDC Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices (ACIP). This webinar will […]

Clinical Tools and Guidelines

Clinical Practice Alert: Syphilis Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Clinical Practice Alert: Syphilis Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Rates of syphilis have been rising in the US, including in California, which has resulted in a corresponding rise in the rates of congenital syphilis (CS). Fifteen percent of women of childbearing age diagnosed with syphilis are pregnant. These trends mirror a sharp increase in all stages […]

Webinar

Putting New Family PACT Benefits to Work in Patient Care
May 11, 2022 Over the last year, the Family PACT Program has added several new benefits. These include three new contraceptive methods, a diagnostic test for Mycoplasma genitalium, and modifications in STI treatments based on the 2021 CDC STI Treatment Guidelines. In this webinar, a description of the new benefits will be provided and the […]

Webinar

Talking with Family Planning Clients About COVID-19 Vaccination
November 18, 2021 This webinar event is a collaboration between The California Department of Health Care Services Office of Family Planning, the California Prevention Training Center, the California Department of Public Health, and “#ThisIsOurShot” Program. Please join two OBGYNs, Dr. LaTanya Hines and Dr. Michael Policar, for a webinar training on how to effectively communicate […]

Webinar

2021 Implementing the CDC STI Treatment Guidelines: A Conversation for Family PACT Providers
The long-awaited 2021 CDC Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines were published in MMWR on July 22, 2021. This webinar will focus on significant changes from the 2015 CDC STD Treatment Guidelines, including updated guidelines for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, pelvic inflammatory disease, genital herpes, Mycoplasma genitalium, and vaginal trichomoniasis. To assist health care […]

Webinar

Update in Evaluation and Management Office Visit Coding for Family PACT Services
The CPT rules for the use of problem-oriented E/M office visit codes changed significantly on January 1, 2021. Since then, office visits are coded based on levels of medical decision-making or “total time” and the prior rules for using the “three key components” no longer apply. Consequently, Family PACT E/M coding policies were updated in […]

Patient-Facing Resources and Fact Sheets

Birth Control Methods
Information on birth control methods and Family PACT coverage for current and prospective Family PACT clients.