Family planning services provide individuals with the information and means to exercise personal choice in determining the number and spacing of children.
Services include:
• Family planning exam includes pelvic exam, breast and cervical screening
• Diagnosis and treatment of vaginal infections
• Pregnancy testing
• Birth control (see options below) including education and reproductive counseling
• Testicular exams
• Laboratory tests
Birth control options available:
• Condoms
• Birth control pills
• Injection (Depo-provera equivalent)
• Diaphragms
(Resource information is available for methods not offered directly at the Health Department).
Hours
Family planning exams are by appointment only. Other services are available as appointments and on a walk-in basis. Call (785) 843-0721 to schedule an appointment.
Fee
Sliding scale payment is available for family planning services.
Please call the Health Department for more information at (785) 843-0721 or e-mail nurseinfo@ldchealth.org.
ELIZABETH'S STORY
Elizabeth was 25 when she came to the Family Planning clinic for her yearly exam. She had been receiving her contraceptive method through a private provider, but had not been doing her yearly Pap smears, which is part of routine care for Family Planning clients at the Health Department.
Elizabeth’s last Pap smear had been more than five years before. She had become concerned because she was having irregular bleeding and discomfort. During her exam, it was clear something was very wrong.
Her cervix was very abnormal in appearance and her Pap smear later confirmed that she had malignant cervical cancer.
Women diagnosed with cervical cancer are like Elizabeth in that most have delayed Pap smear screenings for five or more years.
Elizabeth was uninsured and her need for care was already beyond the usual referral resources for abnormal results. After consultation with a local OB/Gyn, a call was made to a cancer specialist at KU Medical Center.
Due to the urgency of the situation, the specialist was willing to see Elizabeth and begin her evaluation without assurance that payment would be possible.
While her preliminary evaluation was started, KU Medical Center staff assisted Elizabeth in applying for an emergency medical card. She was able to begin treatment of the cancer and, at last update, was recovering well.
