Family Planning Program

Family Planning Program priorities include:

• Assuring continued high quality clinic family planning and related preventive health services that will improve the overall health of individuals.
• Assuring access to a broad range of high quality clinical family planning and related preventive health services that includes the provision of highly effective contraceptive methods; breast and cervical cancer screening and prevention; STD and HIV prevention education, counseling and testing; extramarital abstinence education and counseling; and other preventive health services.
• Encouraging family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services, including activities that promote positive family relationships.
• Improving the health of individuals and communities by partnering with community-based organizations ( CBOs ), faith-based organizations ( FBOs ) and other public health providers that work with vulnerable or at-risk populations.
• Promoting individual and community health by emphasizing clinical family planning and related preventive health services for hard-to-reach populations, such as uninsured or under-insured individuals, males, persons with limited English proficiency, adolescents and other vulnerable or at-risk populations.
• Integration of HIV/AIDS services in family planning, specifically HIV/AIDS education, counseling and testing are provided on site.

In Roanoke City, family planning clinics are available by appointment. In addition there is a pregnancy test clinic provided on a walk in basis once weekly. Pregnancy “options counseling” is provided as well as referrals for identified needs.

The clinics are staffed by an MD or nurse practitioner, registered nurses, clinic assistant and a health counselor. Pregnancy testing is staffed with a health counselor or registered nurse. Emergency contraception is available in the clinic setting and on request. Fees for services are based on financial eligibility and are provided on a sliding scale. Medicaid and Medicare are accepted as well as some private insurance.Roanoke City partners with the Roanoke Adolescent Health Partnership and Planned Parenthood to provide services to teens. Minor counseling and encouragement of parental involvement is an important element provided in the counseling in all clinic settings.

Interpreters are provided for clients with limited English proficiency. Roanoke City employs two part time Spanish interpreters and, in addition, utilizes the services of the Roanoke Refugee and Immigration offices for language needs beyond this. In calendar year 2003 the Roanoke City unduplicated family planning patient count was 1,305 with 2,450 patient visits. These numbers are inclusive of Roanoke City Main Health Department and the Hurt Park and school based clinics.

Comments or questions concerning this web page should be sent to:  roanokeweb@vdh.virginia.gov