Skip to main content

Family Planning

By taking the lead on your body and family planning goals early, you can make the best possible choices for your reproductive health today and in the future. Whether you're looking to grow your family or live a child-free life, we offer a variety of family planning services to mirror your goals.

Request an appointment

Build a family on your own terms

Having a child is a big decision that comes with lifelong responsibilities. While that decision is ultimately yours to make, being as informed as possible can help you understand your options.

From offering lifestyle recommendations for a healthy pregnancy to counseling on fertility treatments for the 1 in 6 people who struggle to conceive naturally, we offer all individuals and couples expert advice and services tailored to their reproductive health needs.

And if you're not ready for a family just yet, we provide shorter-term solutions like birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs) as well as more permanent procedures like a vasectomy and pregnancy termination. Should you ever have questions or just need to talk, we'll always be here for you.

Patient smiling and holding a brochure during a clinic appointment while listening to doctor. =
Find a doctor near me
hands-heart

Treatments

You can count on us to handle your family planning needs with a gentle touch. Our care team is devoted to helping all people navigate their family planning goals, like those who:

  • Are waiting to grow their families
  • Are in need of perinatal care (miscarriages and abortions)
  • Are trying to conceive
  • Feel their family is complete
  • Want to live a childfree life
Contraceptives

Contraceptives are devices, medications and actions designed to prevent a pregnancy. There are many forms of contraceptives, like:

  • Barrier methods: Condoms, cervical caps and diaphragms block sperm from entering the uterus.
  • Hormonal methods: Pills, patches and IUDs contain hormones like progesterone and estrogen to prevent the sperm from entering the uterus.

Certain hormonal methods, like birth control pills, are 99% effective when taken every day. On the other hand, hormone-filled devices can last for years at a time, such as a(n):

  • Birth control implant: A small device we implant below the skin of the upper arm.
  • Intrauterine device (IUD): A T-shaped device about the size of a paper clip that’s inserted in the uterus. Some IUDs don't release hormones, and could be a better choice for you depending on your medical condition.

We can help you choose the contraceptive that’s right for you.

Miscarriage care

A miscarriage is an unexpected pregnancy loss within the first 20 weeks of gestation. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including:

  • A weakened cervix
  • Genetic abnormalities in the fetus, like an extra or missing chromosome
  • Hormonal imbalances in the parent, such as low levels of progesterone
  • Immune system disorders
  • Infections

Experiencing a miscarriage can be heartbreaking, and it's not something you need to face alone. Unfortunately, up to 1 in 4 pregnancies will miscarry, with most occurring during the first trimester (first 12 weeks).

If you experience more than 1 miscarriage, something else may be going on that's affecting your reproductive health. Our fertility experts will explore the underlying cause of your miscarriage so we can better plan for a healthy, future pregnancy.

Sterilization

If you’ve decided your family is complete, you may be interested in a more permanent form of contraception, like sterilization. For women and assigned females at birth (AFAB), that means blocking or cutting the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy.

For men and assigned males at birth (AMAB), that means cutting or tying the vas deferens. You may have heard of this as getting a vasectomy.

We offer the latest, minimally invasive sterilization methods so that you can get back to your daily activities with minimal pain and recovery time.

Termination of pregnancy

Also known as abortion, a termination of pregnancy is the process of ending a pregnancy before the fetus can survive outside the womb. A pregnancy can be terminated using medication or a surgical procedure. People seeking an abortion can trust we'll protect their health and privacy.

Jenny Ruan, MD checking patient's heart with a stethoscope during an appointment at Tufts Medical Center's OBGYN Asian Access Clinic.
Our locations

From regular office visits to inpatient stays, find the healthcare you need and deserve close to home.

Andrea Zuckerman, MD, Chief of Women’s Care at Tufts Medical Center, in clinic examining pregnant patient Van Khanh Tran.
Our doctors + care team

Meet the doctors and care team devoted to supporting you every step of the way along your path to better health.

Understand what you may pay for care at Tufts Medicine with our price estimate tool.

Jump back to top