Family Planning

Family planning is deciding the desired size of your family and spacing of having children.

Family planning is deciding the desired size of your family and spacing of having children that is right for you.  It involves choosing a birth control or prevention method that is best for you to prevent an unexpected pregnancy. At least eighteen months to two years between the birth of one baby to becoming pregnant with the next is recommended to allow your body to recover and time to bond with your new baby.  About half of all pregnancies are unplanned.

Things to Consider

  • Is family planning a part of my life?
  • What methods of birth control have I used in the past?
  • What is an ideal number of months or years to have between my children?
  • Do my partner and I have the same ideas about this topic?
  • How long do I want to wait before having another child?

Every woman has the right to manage her fertility and choosing a birth control method is a very personal decision.  It is based on several important factors such as individual preference, medical history, lifestyle, effectiveness, safety and cost. You have options.

How to Access Family Planning Services

Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Department of Health (DOH) have implemented the Family Planning Medicaid Waiver Program, also known as Family Planning Medicaid. It is special Medicaid that covers family planning and limited women’s healthcare services. If you qualify for this coverage, you can use it at any health care provider that accepts Medicaid and provides family planning services. Even if you do not qualify for health insurance coverage, you can still get low-cost birth control services and other health care services at the Florida Department of Health in Broward County.

Note: Applications are ONLY processed by the local health department.

Additional Resources

Visit http://broward.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/clinical-and-nutrition-services/family-planning/index.html – For more information or to print an application. 

To schedule an appointment at the Family Planning Clinic at the Florida Department of Health in Broward County or request an application, call 954-467-4705.