Contraception in Primary Care

Subdermal and intrauterine contraceptives (IUCs) provide high levels of patient satisfaction. Still, for many women, finding clinicians who offer these contraceptives can be difficult. To assess the proportion of family physicians who provide these contraceptive options, researchers analyzed data collected from 2329 family physicians recertifying with the American Board of Family Medicine in 2014.

One of every five responding family physicians reported placing IUCs, and 11% reported placing subdermal contraceptives. However, the large majority of those offering subdermal contraceptives already offer IUCs; only 3% of those unable to place IUCs offer implants.