Why family planning involves every GP.

PIP: Although some general practitioners within Britain's National Health Service (NHS) will not participate directly in family planning, their practice will certainly involve some counseling and follow-up of contraceptive side effects. These physicians must be alert to elevations in blood pressure and other indications that a contraceptive method may be inappropriate for a given client. In cases where the family physician is prescribing a family planning method, careful thought must be given to what comprises a reliable and acceptable contraceptive for a client. Case assessment and supervision during the early months of treatment are especially important with oral contraceptives, given the potential for side effects and the need for counseling on consistent use. If the pill is contraindicated, a Copper 7 IUD may be an alternative choice. General practitioners who insert IUDs should gain initial experience under supervision and have sterile equipment, lithotomy stirrups, a good light, and a bivalve speculum available. Finally, general practitioners within the NHS system are performing a growing proportion of male and female sterilizations. Again, both technical skill and counseling aimed at conveying the likelihood of irreversible sterility are necessary.^ieng