title: Clinician perceptions of providing natural family planning methods in Title X funded clinics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural family planning (NFP) methods are effective for contraception with proper and consistent use. However, only 1% of patients at federally funded Title X family planning clinics select NFP as a contraceptive method. The goal of this study was to understand from clinicians' perspectives the barriers and facilitators to providing NFP methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six telephone focus groups were conducted with 29 clinicians from Title X clinics across the United States and Puerto Rico. A hermeneutic method was used to analyze data for related themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overarching theme from the study was that participants had a strong desire to teach their patients how their bodies work and to empower them to learn to control fertility. Four subthemes emerged: patient misinformation and misunderstanding about fertility; provider ideas about ideal types of candidates for NFP; inconsistent patient teaching strategies; and lack of time to teach NFP methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for increased NFP training for providers and efficient NFP patient teaching strategies to meet the needs of patients with limited knowledge about fertility.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. kellypj@umkc.edu
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Jacki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McEvers
authors.forename: Maithe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Enriquez
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abshier
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vasquez
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McGee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004496:Education, Continuing; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005380:Financing, Government; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012252:Natural Family Planning Methods; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011647:Puerto Rico; D012736:Sex Education / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States