Naval Hospital Bremerton OB/GYN clinic is offering Family Planning and Sexual Health Services classes that focus on Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC).

"This is a new class that teaches the Sailor about every option of family planning and sexual health services afforded to them with a heavy emphasis on Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives," said Cmdr. David Loshbaugh, NHB OB/GYN staff certified nurse midwife. "As a certified nurse midwife, I will give details on each form of family planning methods and their benefits."

Such family planning and associated medical technology has long been offered by Navy Medicine, including a May 2015 health care provider meeting at NHB that discussed further implementation of LARC, enhancing patient awareness, and increasing family planning counseling methods.

Cmdr. Greg Freitag, BUMED Office of Women's Health, noted one of Navy Medicine's goals is to continue to do a better job in supporting overall readiness for the entire fleet and Marine Corps.

"Approximately 50 percent of all births in the U.S. are due to unplanned pregnancy," said Freitag. "In the Navy, it has been estimated that two of every three Sailors pregnant are unplanned, adding that although 70-85 percent of active-duty personnel are sexually active, nearly 40 percent use no contraception."

The average cost of one unplanned pregnancy is approximately $30,000, said Freitag. There were 2,368 deliveries of unplanned pregnancies in 2012, with 32 percent of enlisted women assigned to sea duty having an unplanned pregnancy or childbirth during their first tour.

"With education, from leaders to the deckplates, more will choose contraception management," said Freitag. "Providing medical advice to the fleet to help care for all our forces is our central message with this training."

The Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center notes that in general, LARCs are extremely effective in preventing pregnancy, citing a plus-99 percent effective rate; are low maintenance for doctors and users; discreet; provide continuous contraception for a period of 3-12 years; safe for most women, including teens and HIV-positive women; safe for women who have had a cesarean section, sexually transmitted infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and for non-monogamous women; well tolerated by adolescents and most women who have never had a baby; have very high user satisfaction; have very high user continuation rates; cost-saving when compared to oral contraceptive pills; have easy placement and removal; and enable rapid return to fertility after removal.

"LARCs have been proven highly effective," said Freitag. "One third of women in the U.S. will try five kinds of family planning methods. LARC has the lowest failure rate. Our goal continues to be to train our health care force so they can better care and train their patients on using LARC."

Freitag said it is also crucial for any provider to be prepared to counsel and manage those under their care.

Family Planning and Sexual Health Services classes are considered integral components of primary health care for women, men, and families by Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) Women's Health Advisory Board and Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center.

"The line community should know about this program because unplanned pregnancy not only affects the Sailor but her entire chain of command, specifically lost sea time, deployments, and reduction time at work. Their chain of command should encourage each Sailor to take the class," stated Loshbaugh.

Those interested can contact NHB's OB/GYN clinic at (360) 475-4955.

For more news from Naval Hospital Bremerton, visit http://www.navy.mil/.