Family Planning FAQ
- General health assessment
- Pap smear (depending on age)
- Breast exam
- Birth control counseling
- Birth control*
- Condoms
- Pills
- IUDs
- Implants
- Birth control shot
- Education on natural family planning and abstinence
- Emergency contraception (morning after pill)**
- Reproductive health counseling
- Pregnancy testing and counseling (urine)
- Mammogram referrals
- Sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment for established patient
- Preconception counseling
- Basic Infertility evaluation
*You will receive birth control in our clinic or a prescription to take to the pharmacy.
**Plan B services do not require an appointment.
You will be asked to fill out the medical history and social summary forms. This must be done before the exam. We recommend printing out the forms and completing them before you arrive. This will reduce your time spent in the clinic.
- Clinical Services Registration Form – English
Formulario de Registro de Servicios Clínica – En Español - Family Planning Intake Form – English
Formulario de Admisión Clínica de Planificación Familiar – En Español - Informed General Consent for Family Planning Services – English & En Español
- Patient Consent Form for Electronic Exchange of Health Information – English
- Formulario de Consentimiento del Paciente para el lntercambio Electr6nico de lnformaci6n de Salud Individual – En Español
Do not have sex or douche for 24 hours before your exam. Children are not allowed in the exam room and cannot be left alone in the waiting area. If you must bring children to your appointment, also bring a responsible adult to watch them while you’re in the exam room.
A complete exam includes:
- Assessment of your heart and lungs
- Height and weight check
- Blood pressure check
- Urine test
- Blood test
- Pap smear (21 years of age and older)
- Breast exam
- Counseling to determine what type of birth control is right for you
- Reproductive health counseling
- Birth control method/device
- Referrals as needed
| Birth Control Method | English |
Spanish |
| Birth Control Pill | Download | Download |
| Birth Control Shot (Depo-Provera) | Download | Download |
| Condoms & Foam | Download | Download |
| Diaphragm | Download | Download |
| IUD (intrauterine device) | Download | Download |
To receive your blood test and pap smear results by phone, make arrangements with your nurse before you leave.
The cost of exams, including treatment, birth control or medications, are based on a sliding scale. The scale is based on your annual income and the number of people in your household. Bring proof of income to your visit.
We also welcome all private pay, full and partially insured and Medicare patients. Visit our Payment Options page for details.
The Family Planning Clinic receives funding by the federal Title X program. Title X programs cannot require parent or guardian written consent for services to minors nor can they notify parents or guardians before or after a minor has requested and received services.
We encourage you to discuss your questions about sex or birth control with your parents. We know that conversation is often difficult to start. However, parents want to answer questions and teach their children how to be sexually responsible. If you want, we can help you to have that conversation with your parent. The law is on your side though — you don’t have to tell your parents until you’re ready.
Clients seeking treatment at the Family Planning Clinic should know that the health district is required to report cases involving assault or abuse to appropriate agencies. This includes consensual sexual activity (both you and your partner agree) between a person under the age of 16 and a person 18 or older, also known as statutory rape.
Hey, Is That Legal?
In Nevada, if you are 18 years old then you are legally an adult! The law does not prohibit you from having sex with a juvenile as long as they are not four years younger than you.
At age 17, you are not prohibited from having sex with whomever you want, as long as your partner is also a consenting individual, who is not four years younger than you.
In Nevada, at 16 years old you are not considered an adult, but you are now capable of fully consenting to sex.
At 15 years old, you are not able to fully consent to sex; however, it is not prohibited for you to have sex if your partner is between the age of 14 and 18.
In Nevada, a 14 year old is not able to legally consent to sex. You are not prohibited from engaging in sex as long as your partner is under the age of 18.
Anyone under the age of 14 cannot consent to sex. If a 13 year old does have sex with a person who is two or more years older, then the older person can be charged with sexual assault!
If you are a woman under 30 years old who has no significant medical problems you may be interested in and qualify for our new P.O.W.E.R program.
What is P.O.W.E.R?
P.O.W.E.R. stands for Planning Options without Exam Required. In other words, you can get started on birth control pills or the three-month injection without having a female examination.
How does this program work?
During your appointment, the nurse will review your medical history and tell you if you can participate in the program. If yes, you will get your birth control and be on your way. If no, you will see the nurse practitioner for an exam before you get your birth control. The process can be even faster if you bring the completed medical history PDF 26KB and social summary PDF 52KB forms with you.
Visit the Clinic Locations webpage to make an appointment.
Does this mean I never need to have a female examination and a PAP smear?
Because female examinations and PAP smears are important to your health the nurse will tell you when it’s time to get your exam done. PAP smears are recommended for women beginning at age 21.
What will be done when I come to the clinic?
- You will provide the medical history PDF 26KB and social summary PDF 52KB forms for the nurse to review.
- If you are under 25, you will have to leave urine in a cup.
- Your blood pressure and weight will be checked.
- You will discuss with the nurse what birth control method you want; pills or three month shot.
- You will sign consent forms for your P.O.W.E.R visit and birth control.
- You will receive information about your birth control method and how to use it. You will also get other important Information for your health and safety.
- You may be offered HIV and syphilis testing based on your medical history.
- You will get your birth control and be on your way home!
Do I need to pay anything for a P.O.W.E.R appointment?
All services are provided on a sliding fee based on income, so bring proof of income with you. No one is denied service due to inability to pay.
Birth Control FAQ
The best way to avoid a pregnancy is to not have sex (abstinence). This is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.
If you decide to have sex or are already sexually active, then you need to use protection, also known as birth control (contraception). Birth control has to be used correctly every time you have sex for it to work.
Yes. The only way to have no risk of a pregnancy is to not have sex (abstinence). If you decide to have sex, using birth control will reduce the risk of becoming pregnant.
Birth control only works if you use it correctly every time you have sex. Some birth control prevents pregnancy better than others and only condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Yes. You can get pregnant the first time you have sex. It doesn’t matter how many times you have sex, there is always a chance of getting pregnant. Not having sex is the only guaranteed way to prevent pregnancy. The best way to avoid pregnancy is to not have sex or only have sex after you have a birth control method started.
Yes. Some people always use condoms for birth control. However, you must use the condom correctly, and you must use it every single time you have sex.
Use the videos below to learn how.
YouTube Video: How to Put on a Condom Correctly
Download the video transcript. PDF 67KB
YouTube Video: Como Poner un Condón Correctamente
Descargar la transcripción del video. PDF 67KB
Yes. If you or your partner has sex with more than one person or if you are unsure, you should use a condom every time you have sex. Using a condom will protect you from getting and/or spreading a sexually transmitted infection (STI). A condom is the only form of birth control that prevents STIs.
The benefit to using condoms is that they prevent pregnancy and protect you and your partner from sexually transmitted infections.
An STI is passed from one person to another when having oral, vaginal or anal sex. Examples of STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and trichomonasis (commonly called Trich).
Yes. You can get an STI while taking the birth control pill because it uses hormones to prevent pregnancy. Those hormones do not protect against STIs.
Yes. Anytime you have sex, there is a chance you can get an STI. However, it is a lot less likely when you use condoms correctly every time you have sex. Latex condoms are highly effective in reducing the risk of getting an STI, including HIV. Other condoms, such as lamb skin condoms, can prevent some STIs, but do not protect against HIV.
No. You should never use two condoms at the same time. Using two condoms at one time may cause both condoms to come off, which would release the sperm. Practice the rule: one condom for each sex act performed.
Condoms are available at most grocery stores, drug stores and some gas stations. Free condoms are always available at the health district’s sexual health and family planning clinics.
Yes. It can reduce the risk of getting pregnant, but is not very effective or reliable.
Additionally, you are not protected from sexually transmitted infections using this method.
Withdrawal is when a male removes his penis from the vagina before he ejaculates (spills out). Withdrawal is an attempt to prevent sperm from entering the vagina by ejaculating outside the vagina. Even if a male never ejaculates into the vagina, sperm can leak out into the vagina before the male pulls out, so there is still a risk of pregnancy.
Withdrawal is only about 73 percent effective compared to other methods that are 97 percent to 99 percent effective.
The morning-after pill, also known as emergency contraception, is used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or when there is a problem with birth control, such as a broken condom. It may be taken up to 120 hours after sex, but it is most effective within 72 hours of sex.
The morning-after pill contains high levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. The hormones work in a number of ways to prevent pregnancy: they may delay ovulation (the release of an egg during a female’s monthly cycle), affect the development of the uterine lining, and prevent the fertilization process.
This is not an abortion pill, so it will not work if you are already pregnant. In Nevada, if you are 17 years or older you or your partner can buy the morning-after pill at a pharmacy without a prescription. The morning-after pill is also available at health district’s family planning clinics, where no appointment is needed.
Yes. It is possible you to get pregnant if you have sex while you have your menstrual period (bleeding).
Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovaries into the uterus and is the most fertile time for a female. Vaginal bleeding during ovulation is common and can be mistaken for a period. After ejaculation, sperm can survive for a few days inside the vagina or uterus even if there is bleeding. If ovulation occurs while sperm is still alive, pregnancy can occur.
No. Douching is not a method of birth control. It is intended to clean and freshen, not prevent pregnancy. Douching is way to rinse out the vagina with a solution, such as water and vinegar. Sperm that are deposited in the vagina after ejaculation can enter the uterus before the sperm could be washed away. A female can become pregnant if the sperm reaches the uterus.
Some health professionals do not recommend douching because it can increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections because the solution can flush out the natural good bacteria present in the vagina that help prevent infections. Douches can also cause discomfort and irritation.