Keeping current on reproductive health issues and finding answers to your and your patients' questions are more easily accomplished if you have on hand an array of resources and materials. This chapter presents some selected reproductive health resources developed by the authors of Contraceptive Technology and resources that colleagues have brought to our attention. The list is not complete, so if you have suggestions for future editions, please write to Contraceptive Technology Communications, P.O. Box 49643, Atlanta, GA 30359 (or send e-mail to ctcomm@mindspring.com).

Several organizations have a wealth of helpful and quality resources (Tables 11-1 and 11-2). Materials from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, Family Health International, and any branch of the federal government are not copyrighted and may be reproduced.

Table 11-1. Reproductive health organizations

Table 11-2. Research and Advocacy organizations

Print and Multimedia Materials

Professional Education

• Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Report of the United States Preventive Services Task Force. How effective are the various periodic screening evaluations? This compendium details the quality of the research and the strength of the recommendations for performing Papanicolaou smears, conducting breast examinations, measuring blood pressure, counseling about sexually transmitted infections, and performing numerous other measures on patients of diverse age and risk groups. Available at www.ahrq.gov/clinic/cps3dix.htm or from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at bookstores or at www.lww.com.
  
  
• 2002 Guidelines for Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The latest recommendations on preventing and treating sexually transmitted infections, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. View guidelines at www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/ or order a copy at 1-888-232-3228.
  
  
• Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use. This document provides selected practice recommendations based on the best available evidence and is intended to be used by policy-makers, program managers, and the scientific community. It aims to provide guidance to national family planning/reproductive health programs in the preparation of guidelines for service delivery of contraceptives. Available from the World Health Organization at www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/rhr_02_7/index.htm.
  
  
• Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. This book sets out detailed criteria for determining whether individual family planning clients are medically eligible to use, or continue using, a particular contraceptive method. This new edition incorporates all new available evidence on the safety and use of contraceptives, including the relationship between contraception and HIV risk. These medical eligibility criteria were developed to help national family planning programs update their policies and practices in line with the latest scientific knowledge. Available from the World Health Organization at www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/RHR_00_2_medical_eligibility_criteria_second_edition/.
  
  
• Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 6th edition, by Speroff, Glass, and Kase. Available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at bookstores or at www.lww.com.
  
  
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Practice Bulletin on Emergency Contraception. March 2001. To order single copies, call 1-202-863-2518 and request Practice Bulletin #25.
  
  
• Contraceptive Technology slide sets. The Contraceptive Technology and Reproductive Health series covers topics such as injectables, lactational amenorrhea, postpartum contraception, and intrauterine devices. The sets include teaching modules with narrative, slides, audience handouts, references, and reprints of scientific articles. Available from Family Health International at 1-919-544-7040 or www.fhi.org.
  
  
• Annotated bibliographies of print materials. SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.) offers a lengthy list of topics for which it has compiled annotated reference lists. Sexuality topics range from sexual abuse to sexual activities when you have disabilities, are in adolescence or middle and later ages; religion and spirituality and sexuality; and gay and lesbian issues. Available from the Publications Department at 1-212-819-9770 or www.siecus.org.
  
  
• Emergency Contraception" provider resource packet. Prepared by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), the packet includes sample patient brochures, fact sheets, office poster, and a provider manual with prescribing information and sample protocols. Available from Planned Parenthood Federation of America at 1-800-669-0156.
  
  
• Emergency contraception "Train-the-Trainer" slide sets. PowerPoint presentation on emergency contraception can be downloaded from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals' website at www.arhp.org/ec.
  
  
• Early Medical Abortion: Issues for Practice. This monograph summarizes information about early abortion, including steps needed for early identification of pregnancy, an overview of early abortion methods, advice on how to establish medical abortion services, and a list of useful resources. Copies can be ordered from University of California, San Francisco at reprohealth.ucsf.edu.
  
  
• The Best Intentions: Unintended Pregnancy and the Well-being of Children and Families. This book details the causes, consequences, and costs of unintended pregnancy. The reference list is extensive. Available from the National Academy Press at book stores, by calling 1-800-624-6242, or online at www.nap.edu.
  
  
• Dubious Conceptions: The Politics of Teenage Pregnancy by Luker. One of the most articulate treatises on teenagers and pregnancy, the book takes an empathetic, myth-busting approach. Available from Harvard University Press at bookstores or at www.hup.harvard.edu.
  
  
• Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (formerly, Family Planning Perspectives). This peer-reviewed journal offers the latest policy-relevant, widely referenced research and analysis on reproductive health in the United States and other developed countries. Read updates and digests of research in the field, special reports and forums on timely topics, and original research and analysis in every issue. Available at www.guttmacher.org/journals.
  
  
• The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy. This publication analyzes reproductive health policy-making in Washington and state capitals across the country. This bimonthly review relates state to national and international developments and highlights all aspects of reproductive health policy. Available at www.guttmacher.org/journals.
  
  
• State Policies in Brief by The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI). This series of fact sheets provides information on key issues affecting reproductive health and rights in the states. They are updated monthly by AGI's policy analysts to reflect the most recent legislative, administrative, and judicial actions. Each edition provides background on the issue, state-by-state policy breakdowns, and information on where to go to learn more. State Policies in Brief are available in PDF format at AGI's Web site at www.guttmacher.org/pubs/spib.html.
  
  
• "News Providers Can Use." In concise and clear language, this quarterly e-mail newsletter identifies key questions of interest to family planning providers and reproductive health, summarizes recent AGI research and policy analyses that address these questions, puts new findings in a programmatic context and provides links to more detailed information. To sign up, type your e-mail address into the green-labeled "subscribe" box at www.guttmacher.org/listserv/#3.
  
  
• "AGI Update." Keep current with the latest AGI research and policy analyses before you receive them in print. Subscribe to this electronic mailing list to receive previews of upcoming publications, as well as links to background information to help you place new developments in context. To sign up, type your e-mail address into the blue-labeled "subscribe" box at www.guttmacher.org/listserv.
  
  
• Kaisernetwork.org. This Internet service provides three daily online reports: the Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, and the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report. Each provides summaries of current news stories plus maintains a fully searchable archive. To read the reports or sign up to receive them via email, visit www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm.
  
  
• The Program Archive on Sexuality, Health & Adolescence. PASHA is a collection of pregnancy and STI prevention programs that have been selected for their demonstrated effectiveness in changing behavior among teens. Each program comes with all the necessary materials for program implementation. Find out more at www.socio.com/pasha.htm.
  
  
• Educational materials. Many companies provide a wide range of health education materials ranging from anatomical models and flip charts to videotapes and pamphlets. A few favorites: Health Education Services (www.hes.org), NASCO (www.nascofa.com), and WRS Group (www.wrsgroup.com).

Patient Education

• Flip charts and leader's guides. Educate your patients with these exceptionally illustrated flip charts on "Birth Control," "Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology," "HIV/AIDS," and "Sexually Transmitted Diseases." Available from ETR Associates at 1-800-321-4407 or www.etr.org.
  
  
• Project Wise, Project Inform's program on HIV/AIDS, provides information on research, treatment and advocacy for women. Project Wise publishes a newsletter three times a year (available online or by mail), and offers fact sheets (in English and Spanish) and articles about women and HIV. Available at www.projectinform.org/pub/ww_index.html.
  
  
• "Now What Do I Do?" Designed to help parents communicate with pre-teens, these materials help answer the tough questions. Available from SIECUS at 1-212-819-9770 or www.siecus.org.
  
  
• Beyond the Big Talk: Every Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Teens, From Middle School to College by Haffner. For parents of teenagers. Available from Newmarket Press in bookstores or at www.newmarketpress.com.

Pharmaceutical House Resources

Almost every contraceptive has a patient package insert. Some provide excellent information. Some are easier to read than others. All are free. Pharmaceutical houses are generally responsive to inquiries about educational materials for providers or patients (Table 11-3).

Table 11-3. Pharmaceutical company websites and toll-free phone numbers

Telephone Hotlines And Websites

Numerous organizations have set up hotlines and websites for providers and patients (Tables 11-4 and 11-5). Remember that while the Internet offers myriad resources for both professionals and patients, health and medical sites are not peer-reviewed, and clinical decisions should not be based on information found on line.

Table 11-4. Hotlines and websites

Table 11-5. Online resource lists

Webpages with Active Links to Many Other Websites