Quality Family Planning Recommendations (QFP)
What is QFP? Why is it important?
Providing Quality Family Planning Services in the United States: Recommendations of the U.S. Office of Population Affairs (QFP) outlines how to provide quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for people of reproductive age. It can also be used to guide the care of people of any age when the content is relevant to their needs.
Intended audiences include providers of SRH services working in diverse clinical settings (e.g., family planning, primary care, hospitals, and those funded by Title X), as well as providers working in other settings that may identify SRH needs and make referrals.
QFP is the only publicly available, comprehensive set of guidelines about how to deliver SRH care
How has QFP evolved over time?
QFP was originally developed in 2014 to offer evidence-based standards of family planning care. It described the scope of services that should be offered in a family planning visit and how to provide those services.
The updated QFP provides guidance on the provision of person-centered SRH care focused on individuals’ needs, values, and preferences. The update incorporates new evidence, integrates a sexual and reproductive health equity (SRHE) perspective in both content and process, and broadens focus beyond Title X networks.
2014 QFP Report
Focused on women as recipients of care, with some specific content for male clients
Focused on care provided within the formal healthcare system, particularly specialized family planning clinic settings.
Followed a traditional hierarchy of guidelines and evidence in establishing recommendations
Offered recommendations on how to provide quality family planning services, including contraceptive services, pregnancy testing and counseling, helping clients achieve pregnancy, basic infertility services, preconception health services, and sexually transmitted disease services
2024 QFP Report
Uses gender-inclusive approach and language throughout, to recognize that people of all genders may need access to SRH care
Includes care from a broad range of providers in varied settings, both within and beyond the formal healthcare system, including client-led and self-care options
In additional to incorporating published scientific evidence and existing guidelines, includes more expansive types of evidence like direct input from users and people with lived experience
Includes additional technical content (e.g., guiding principles and approaches to care, new contraceptive methods and access strategies, expanded approach to family building, new STI prevention strategies including PEP and PrEP
What resources are available to support dissemination of QFP?
Partners in the field play an important role in raising awareness and increasing uptake of QFP. In addition to using these resources included below, you can add links on your own website and share them with colleagues and learners.
QFP Guide
An interactive website that enables providers and others using QFP to explore its content
Providing Quality Family Planning Services in the United States: Recommendations of the U.S. Office of Population Affairs (Revised 2024)
Full text peer-reviewed version of QFP
QFP Slide Template: Understanding the Content and Envisioning Change
CECA developed this slide template for your use in understanding QFP, presenting to colleagues about QFP, or teaching students and trainees. You can download and adapt the template for your own specific setting and audience, using either the CECA-branded version or a clean, un-branded version.