Family Planning

Why choose UCLA Health for family planning?

At UCLA Health, family planning services include abortion care, miscarriage management, full-scope contraceptive care and confidential support for patients and families. Our experienced team offers comprehensive gynecological, obstetrical and family planning services in a caring environment. As an academic medical center, we are proud to provide leading-edge medical care for even the most complex OB/GYN needs. Highlights of our program include:

Customized services: Whether you want to start a family, prevent pregnancy or learn about your reproductive options, our team delivers tailored care just for you. We also offer routine health screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). UCLA Health experts work closely with you to create a plan that fits your goals and lifestyle.

Compassionate care: At UCLA Health, we understand that family planning decisions are personal. If your plan includes having children, our team ensures you have the information you need to get pregnant when the time is right. We also offer comprehensive abortion care and post-abortion support for patients who choose to end a pregnancy. Every member of our team is dedicated to helping you pursue the path that works for you.

Commitment to accessibility: We offer translation services in many languages so we can provide individualized care to all members of our community. Our care team welcomes teenagers, adults, elderly patients and people of all genders. Our team assists LGBTQ+ couples with family planning and referrals for fertility treatment to provide more options for starting a family. We also specialize in helping individuals with disabilities and people with complex medical conditions.

Advanced expertise: UCLA Health OB/GYN specialists are nationwide leaders in the full spectrum of women’s health care. Our experts offer reproductive care, genetic testing and counseling, and fertility consultations for patients with a wide range of health conditions. We partner with other specialists across UCLA Health to help you maximize your overall well-being and prepare for a healthy pregnancy. We are a board-certified Complex Family Planning fellowship site.

Our areas of care

At UCLA Health, our experienced team specializes in complex family planning and reproductive health. Our areas of care include:

Abortion and miscarriage management
Contraceptive counseling
Genetic testing and counseling, both pre-conception and during pregnancy
Gynecological and obstetrical (OB/GYN) care
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment

Abortion (medical and surgical termination of pregnancy)

As part of our commitment to accessible and compassionate abortion care, UCLA Health’s Complex Family Planning Team offers comprehensive services to patients who choose to end a pregnancy. Our specialists take time to explain your options and help you decide what’s right for you.

Depending on several factors, your options may include medications or a surgical procedure. Your doctor will discuss each option and answer any questions you may have. We offer a no-test telemedicine abortion (NTTA) model of care, giving patients access to a medication abortion without requiring an ultrasound or in-person clinic visit.

Our experienced team understands that the decision to terminate a pregnancy can be a complicated choice. That’s why our services extend beyond the procedure itself. We’re here to offer you whatever support and counseling you desire.

Types of contraception (birth control) we offer

At UCLA Health, our highly trained family planning care team provides comprehensive birth control counseling. We are also able to care for patients experiencing complications related to contraception (such as embedded IUDs or deeply implanted Nexplanon® implants).

Our goal is to give you the information you need to allow you to have a healthy pregnancy if and when you're ready. We discuss your options based on your overall health, age and lifestyle. We also follow up and adjust the plan if your needs change. Your options may include:

Barrier methods: Condoms and diaphragms prevent sperm from reaching an egg.

Combined hormonal contraceptives: These methods release hormones into the body that prevent you from ovulating (releasing an egg). They come in the form of a birth control pill that you take orally (by mouth), a birth control patch that you wear on your skin or a flexible ring that you insert into your vagina.

Emergency contraception (morning-after pill): This pill can prevent pregnancy after having unprotected sex. It is not an abortion pill and doesn’t work if you’re already pregnant. We can also place IUDs (both copper and hormonal) as emergency contraception.

Injections (birth control shot): Shots release hormones that prevent you from ovulating. Your doctor gives you a shot in the skin in your upper arm. The shot provides birth control for a few months.

Implants: Your doctor places a small implant under the skin in your upper arm. The implant release hormones that prevent ovulation. An implant lasts a few years.

Intrauterine device (IUD): Your doctor inserts this small, T-shaped device into your uterus during a brief office visit. The IUD can prevent pregnancy up to 10 to 12 years. When you’re ready to have it removed, your doctor takes it out during another visit.

Permanent birth control: Our team offers several types of birth control that prevent pregnancy permanently. Women may choose to have a tubal ligation (a procedure to block the fallopian tubes so an egg cannot travel to the uterus). Men may choose a vasectomy (surgery that stops the supply of sperm to the penis).

Gynecological and obstetrical (OB/GYN) care

UCLA Health specialists provide routine and comprehensive OB/GYN care. When you come to us, you’ll find:

Gynecological services: We provide breast and pelvic exams, Pap smears and minimally invasive gynecological surgeries. Our specialists also treat pelvic pain, fibroids (noncancerous growths) and abnormal uterine bleeding.

Obstetrical care: To monitor you and your baby’s health, you receive checkups throughout your pregnancy. We have extensive experience with high-risk pregnancies and work closely with experts at UCLA Health Maternal Fetal Medicine to ensure coordinated care. We also offer nutritional and social work support as part of our holistic care model.

Genetic testing: We partner with specialists in reproductive genetics to provide pre-conception genetic counseling for people with a personal or family history of genetic disorders. Our expertise includes helping prospective parents assess the risk of passing a genetic disorder to their children. We also offer genetic testing after pregnancy termination, to help for future pregnancy planning.

Education and community outreach

We’re committed to empowering our patients and members of our community to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Our goal is to deliver easy-to-understand, medically accurate information about a range of topics, including birth control methods and natural family planning. We offer services that include several outreach and educational programs, such as:

Birth Control Tales: To connect with a larger audience and explain birth control methods in a clear and engaging way, the family planning team at UCLA Health developed Birth Control Tales (BC Tales). This creative approach to patient education is an informative series of cartoons about various birth control methods. Learn more about BC Tales and read the comics.

Title X Family Planning Program: Through workshops at schools and organizations, our health education specialists share information about preventing pregnancy, reducing STI risk, gender and sexuality, healthy communication in relationships and more. We tailor each interactive workshop to address the specific needs of the group. Learn more about scheduling a workshop.

Insurances we accept

We accept several insurance plans, including commercial HMO and PPO plans. We also work with patients who self-pay for their care. Insurance plans we accept include:

Medi-Cal: We accept straight Medi-Cal and pregnancy restricted Medi-Cal. Where eligible, we can register patients for temporary Medi-Cal, also known as Hospital Presumptive Eligibility. Patients who are members of Medi-Cal managed care may see us without needing authorization for sensitive services (contraception care, STI testing/ treatment, abortion-related care) or with authorization for other OB/GYN services.

Family PACT (Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment): UCLA Health is part of this California Office of Family Planning program. Through Family PACT, we provide comprehensive family planning services to low-income California citizens. Learn more about Family PACT.

BCCTP (Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program): We can enroll patients in this program, which provides cancer care to eligible applicants.

Meet our team

Our physicians are experts in family planning, gynecology and obstetrics. With specialized expertise in complex family planning, high-risk pregnancy, fibroid treatment, minimally invasive surgery, pelvic pain and more, we work as a team to deliver outstanding, customized care.