Family Planning
Family planning promotes reproductive health by helping people prevent unplanned pregnancy or achieve intended pregnancy. Family planning empowers you to exercise personal choice in the number and spacing of your children—even if your choice is not to have children.
What You Should Do
- Make routine visits with your healthcare provider. Maintaining optimal health and wellness is important to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.
- Speak with your healthcare provider about having a reproductive life plan. A reproductive life plan considers your personal goals and values about if and when you want to have children. It helps you to make healthy decisions and to be prepared if you decide to become a parent.
- If you are thinking of becoming pregnant, talk to a healthcare provider about preconception care. Preconception care and counseling helps you plan the best health for you and your baby. more
- If you are trying to become pregnant and have not conceived after 12 months of having unprotected sex (6 months if you are over the age of 35), consult your healthcare provider to discuss infertility concerns.
- If you do not intend to become pregnant, understand your birth control options and use birth control consistently and correctly prevent unintended pregnancy. more
- If you are a teen, think about talking to your parent or guardian about your decision to seek family planning services, including birth control or testing for HIV or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
- You can find more information about family planning, birth control options, locate free condoms, find health services, and explore STD/HIV testing options by downloading the RIghtTime app.
Rhode Island Department of Health