Trainers should encourage service providers to be attentive to the client's needs and life situation. Male Involvement Family planning programs need to pay more attention to the role of men in reproductive decisions andto expand male outreach programs. Many programs focus mainly on women, even though men have a major role in making family reproductive choices in many countries. Family planning providers should offer basic STD services. More research should be conducted on various elements of informed choice, including method availability, referrals, counseling, public and clinic education, and training.
Operations research can be useful to assess the most effective ways of promoting informed choice.
The Role of Cooperating Agencies CAs should review their policies and procedures in regard to informed choice, provide adequate staff training, and adopt appropriate monitoring and evaluation procedures. CAs preparing international guidelines should seek input from service providers in developing countries. The Task Force concluded that much progress has been made in promoting informed choice and that future initiatives may depend upon correcting erroneous assumptions about informed choice. Family planning and health care professionals need to understand that implementation of programs to promote informed choice will make their job easier, not harder. Satisfied users are not only the key to high continuation rates, but also the most effective promoters of family planning.