Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Family Planning Program 
October 1st, 2012—June 30th, 2013

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Family Planning Program (MDPH FPP) seeks to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI) throughout the Commonwealth.

To reach these goals, the MDPH FPP contracts with 12 community-based agencies to offer comprehensive family planning services to low-income Massachusetts residents at over 90 locations across the state. Eight out of the 12 agencies provide direct clinical services, whose data is reflected in this factsheet.

Services Provided:
•	clinical family planning services
•	education and technical assistance 
•	outreach to promote utilization 
•	supportive services to assist the highest-need populations to enhance access to and utilization of family planning services 

Contraceptives Distributed to Family Planning Clients
•	Male condoms - 549,657 
•	Oral contraceptives - 51,839 
•	All other methods - 38,191

While many clients historically utilized oral contraception and male condoms, agencies have steadily increased their rates of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) over the past few years to now account for 12% of all methods used by clients.

Contraceptives Used by Family Planning Clients

Over 110,000 STI tests were conducted in 2013. With high STI prevalence in young people, the MDPH FPP targets testing for this population.

STI Tests Provided to Family Planning Clients
•	Chlamydia - 42,075
•	Gonorrhea - 36,944
•	HIV - 22,777
•	Syphilis - 8,910

MDPH FPP-funded agencies prioritize clients at greatest need for family planning services, including low-income clients, clients who remain uninsured despite healthcare reform, and clients with confidentiality concerns who would not otherwise access critical reproductive health care services.

Family Planning Clients by 2013 Federal Poverty Level
(7 of 8 agencies reporting)

Family Planning Clients by Age and Sex

A total of 64,742 clients who made 95,272 visits. Over 11% of clients served were men.

Most clients are extremely low-income with nearly two-thirds living below 100% of the federal poverty level. In 2013, 100% of the federal poverty level for a family of four was $23,550.

Family Planning Clients by Insurance Type

MDPH FPP serves as a safety net to the uninsured and low-income population.  Although most Massachusetts residents are insured, many of those that remain uninsured rely on the MDPH FPP for their reproductive health care.

A majority of clients are racial/ethnic minorities, over a quarter of whom speak a language other than English. To best serve clients, MDPH FPP agency staff are representative of the cultures, races/ethnicities, and linguistic capabilities of clients. Staff are gender equitable, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive to this population’s unique needs.

Family Planning Clients by Race/Ethnicity

Languages Spoken by Family Planning Clients
•	English—74%
•	Spanish—9%
•	Chinese—5%
•	Portuguese—4%
•	Cape Verdean Creole—1% 
•	Haitian Creole—1%

For more information, contact:
Karen Edlund, Director, Family Planning Program
karen.edlund@state.ma.us
617-624-6060
Visit us online at:mass.gov/dph/familyplanning