Frequently Asked Questions

What is Title X (ten)?

Title X (ten) is the National Family Planning program that provides reproductive health care to individuals seeking such care. In Iowa it is administered by the Family Planning Council of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Public health at 80 clinic locations.

What services are available?

Title X (ten) services include but are not limited to, provision of methods of birth control, cervical and breast cancer screening, pelvic exams, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy testing and counseling.

How do I make an appointment?

You may call the clinic site nearest you and friendly staff will help you make an appointment.

If I am a teenager, do I need my parents' permission to get services?

Under Iowa law teenagers do not need their parents' permission to get birth control and related reproductive health services. Staff at Title X (ten) clinics will encourage minors to talk with their parents or other trusted adults about their thoughts and feelings about birth control and their visit to a Family Planning Clinic..

How much does it cost to get birth control?

The amount you pay for services and supplies depends on your income. All clinics have a sliding fee scale, but nobody may be denied services because they are not able to pay.

What will my first visit to a family planning clinic be like?

If you've never been to a healthcare clinic before, you might not know what to expect. Staff at Title X (ten) clinics are caring professionals who want to make you feel comfortable. At your first clinic visit, a counselor will explain the health care services available and what will be involved during your initial visit. She will ask for information about your medical history and explain any lab tests that will be done.

If you are a minor, she will talk to you about abstinence and how you can talk to your parents or trusted adult about your visit to the clinic. She will explain the different methods of contraception (birth control), including how each method is used, how it prevents pregnancy, how well it works, and what side effects might occur. The counselor will help you to select a birth control method that suits your needs and provide you with any supplies you need.

After that, a physician or nurse practitioner will do your medical examination. Your exam will include:

• a review of your health history
• a breast exam
• instruction about breast self-examination
• a pelvic exam
• a PAP test (a screening test for cervical cancer)
• lab tests as necessary

How do I know if I have a sexually transmitted disease (STD)?

You can't know for sure you don't have an STD unless you are tested. You can have an STD and not have any symptoms.

But, if you have had unprotected intercourse and you have any of the symptoms listed, you should consult your healthcare provider:

• unusual discharge from the vagina or penis
• pain or burning while urinating
• painful intercourse (for women)
• blistery sores
• warts on the genitals

Some people can have an STD and not have any early symptoms. You should always use condoms every time you have intercourse to help reduce your chances of getting an STD.

What is emergency contraception (EC) also referred to as the morning after pill?

Emergency contraception is a type of birth control that can be taken after unprotected sexual intercourse. It can be used after a condom breaks, after sexual assault, or any time a woman has unprotected intercourse.

How is EC used?
Emergency contraceptive pills are taken in two doses. The first dose should be taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, and the second dose 12 hours later. They will be even more effective if taken within 24 hours of unprotected intercourse.

How does EC work?
Emergency contraceptive pills prevent ovulation and change the lining of the uterus or the mucus in a woman's cervix (the opening to the uterus). In other words they prevent a pregnancy from occurring.

Emergency contraception is not abortion. A pregnancy test is usually done to make certain that the woman is not already pregnant because EC does not work if there is an established pregnancy. There is no data to suggest that EC is harmful to an early pregnancy.

Is EC the same as RU486?
NO. Emergency contraception is not RU486 (mifeprex). Emergency contraception is used to prevent a pregnancy while RU486 is used to terminate an early stage pregnancy.

How effective is Emergency Contraception?
EC can reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 95%. The earlier it is taken after unprotected intercourse, the more effective it will be. The close a woman is to ovulation at the time of unprotected intercourse, the less likely the method will succeed.

What some of the possible side effects?
Side effects from combination hormone ECPs can include nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness, fatigue, irregular vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, headaches and dizziness may also occur.

For some women, EC may change the amount, length, and timing of the next menstrual period.

Important things to know about emergency contraception:
Emergency contraception does not prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.

This method is for "emergency" use only. Regular use of a contraceptive method is much more effective than EC at preventing a pregnancy.

Emergency contraception can fail. You should do a pregnancy test if your period does not come within three weeks of taking the pills.

What are the different methods of birth control?

Oral Contraceptives:
This is a series of pills that a woman takes once each day for a month. At the end of the month, she starts a new package of pills. The pills have hormones much like those a woman's body makes to control her menstrual cycle. They work by keeping the ovaries from releasing eggs or by changing the lining of the uterus or the mucus of the cervix.

Depo-Provera:
A method of birth control given in the form of a shot. The shot gives protection for up to 12 weeks. It does not contain estrogen so there are no side effects from that hormone. It works by keeping the ovaries from releasing eggs or by changing the lining of the uterus or the mucus of the cervix.

Contraceptive Patch:
A method of birth control that is a small, thin and smooth patch and is put on a woman's skin. The woman can choose where she wears the patch: the buttocks, the shoulder, the upper arm, front or back, but not on the breasts.

It releases hormones every day for three weeks so the woman's ovaries don't produce eggs.

It can stay on the body for one week. You change it once a week and on the fourth week, you don't wear a patch but you will still be protected. You can swim, bathe, shower and wear it in warm humid weather.

Contraceptive Ring:
A method of birth control in the form of a soft ring that fits deep inside the vagina. It releases low-dose hormones everyday for three weeks so the woman's ovaries don't produce eggs. It can stay in the vagina for up to three weeks and provides protection for one month; the exact position in the vagina is not important.

Lunelle:
A method of birth control given in the form of a shot every month. It works by keeping the ovaries from releasing eggs or by changing the lining of the uterus or the mucus of the cervix. The shot gives protection for 28-30 days.

Intrauterine Device (IUD):
A small device made of plastic. Some contain copper, or a hormone. A clinician chooses the right type for a woman, and inserts it into her uterus. Some can stay there for 4 years; copper IUDs may be left in place up to 8 years. IUDs prevent a woman's egg from being fertilized by the man's sperm, and change the lining of her uterus.

Implanon:
Implanon is a small, thin, implantable hormonal contraceptive that provides effective protection for up to three years.  Implanon must be removed by the end of the third year and can be replaced by a new Implanon if contraceptive protection is still needed.  This contraceptive method must be inserted and removed by a trained healthcare provider.   

Diaphragm/Cervical Cap:
A soft rubber barrier in a woman's vagina, used with a contraceptive cream or jelly. The diaphragm or cervical cap is put into a woman's vagina before intercourse. It covers the entrance to her uterus, and the cream or jelly stops the man's sperm from moving. The diaphragm can be put in the vagina 6 hours ahead of intercourse, and left in or 24 hours. The cervical cap can be left in her vagina for up to 48 hours.

Male Condom:
It is a sheath of latex that a man can wear over his penis during intercourse. The condom catches the semen that comes out of a man's penis before, during and after he ejaculates. This keeps his sperm from getting into the woman's vagina. Latex condoms also help protect against some infections, including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Female Condom:
It is a loose-fitting sheath that fits inside the woman's vagina. It catches the semen that comes out of a man's penis when he ejaculates. It covers the cervix, the opening to the uterus, so sperm can't get through. It also protects against some infections including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Fertility Awareness:
A woman can watch changes in her body to see when she is able to get pregnant.

Sterilization:
This is a surgical procedure and is intended to be a permanent method of birth control. There is no guarantee that it can be reversed.

Tubal Ligation
This surgical procedure blocks the fallopian tubes of a woman and prevents an egg from being fertilized by the man's sperm.

Vasectomy
This a surgical procedure for men. It cuts the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm from inside a man's body through the penis and out. It does not affect sexual function.

Do guys need to get reproductive health exams, too?

It is a good idea for males who are sexually active to be screened for STDs. They can also receive information about condom use and learn how to perform a testicular self-exam.

Should guys be concerned about family planning?

Young men need to understand that pregnancy prevention is the responsibility of both partners in a relationship and that children benefit from the support of both parents.