A family planning clinic in a county hospital

In Sacramento County a family planning clinic was organized and its services made available, within defined limits, to women eligible for county hospital service. In the first year of operation, one morning a week, the clinic served 542 women, examining them, giving advice and helping in the selection of means of contraception. Three hundred and fifteen patients selected oral contraceptives and 211 chose to use an intrauterine device. The problems with the intrauterine device were minimal. At one point 32 per cent of the people taking oral contraceptives were failing to return for refilling their prescription. Experience with the operation of the clinic showed shortcomings in the plan that was being used and pointed the way to improvements.