It was closed with the pressure of groups of members of parliament, mostly communists, who, as I am saying, 'aborted' family planning. Now, family planning centres have to rely on local government funding which, most often, is very limited. There are places in Russia, however, where the abortion rate is falling significantly, such as in Dubna where a community-based scheme is changing women s attitudes about abortion. The waiting room at the Women s Wellness Centre in Dubna is painted a cheery pink. Here, an initial consultation with a doctor can last 30 to 40 minutes.
Women get information on the most reliable contraceptives for their individual circumstances.
At the Dubna centre, the price of contraceptives is not the issue. Women are offered two years of free contraceptives if they cannot afford them. The original funding seven years ago came from a partnership with the American city of La Crosse, Wisconsin. It was administered by the American International Health Alliance and paid for by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Free birth control was just the first step.