Preventing Unintended Pregnancy

This article explores techniques that nurse practitioners (NPs) can incorporate into their current practice to reduce a woman's risk for unintended pregnancy. NPs facilitate an open dialogue with female patients to assess their reproductive needs and determine their risk for unintended pregnancy. They promote satisfaction with a birth control method by creating a tailored birth control plan for each woman and ensuring individualized care. Clinicians should create a welcoming environment to address a woman's concerns, provide counseling about common misconceptions about contraception, and ensure that a woman feels comfortable and satisfied with her contraceptive choice through appropriate method initiation and follow-up.