The use of most forms of family planning and related medical services has dropped slightly since 2002 in women aged 15-44 years, but STD counseling, testing, and treatment increased by 27%, the National Center for Health Statistics reported.
The percentage of women 15-44 years old who received any family planning or related medical service was up slightly during 2006-2010 (70%), compared with 1995 (69%), but that was after it had reached almost 73% in 2002, according to data from the National Survey of Family Growth.
Between 2002 and 2006-2010, use also declined for birth control method/prescription, sterilization counseling, pregnancy tests, and Pap tests.
The percentage of women receiving STD counseling, testing, and treatment was 16.0% in 2006-2010, an increase of 27% from 2002’s figure of 12.6% and more than double the 7.6% recorded in 1995. For the 2002 survey, however, the word "counseling" was added to the relevant question, "thereby broadening the scope of the question," the report noted.
