Open AccessDirective counseling on long-acting contraception.
Author(s) -
Ellen Moskowitz,
Bruce Jennings
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.86.6.787
Subject(s) - family planning , persuasion , directive , unintended pregnancy , poverty , medicine , public health , family medicine , population , public relations , psychology , political science , nursing , environmental health , social psychology , law , research methodology , computer science , programming language
National rates of unintended births are a major public health concern. The availability of highly effective long-acting contraceptives has prompted some public officials to promote the coercive use of these methods to reduce such problems as intergenerational poverty and child abuse. Broad-brush public policies that require long-term contraceptive use are unethical. However, persuasion to use these methods can be appropriate. One place for exerting ethically justified influence is in family planning counseling. The dominant nondirective counseling model, which excludes the possibility of vigorous persuasion, is overly rigid. Family planning professionals should develop practice protocols that permit and guide the exercise of directive counseling to use long-acting contraception.