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Medical and Service Delivery Guidelines - individual chapters

Table of contents, preface and instructions for use
 Chapter 1
Chapter 2
 Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
 Chapter 15

Family Planning

Family Planning
A global handook for providers

  • Evidence-based lists of reported side effects, health benefits, and health risks of family planning methods
  • Updated medical eligibility criteria checklists and expanded guidance on managing common problems with use
  • Latest guidance on family planning methods for people with HIV

And more

IPPF Medical and Service Delivery Guidelines

Third edition (2004)


IPPF Medical and Service Delivery Guidelines for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services IPPF Medical and Service Delivery Guidelines
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning. You can download the English version from the bottom of this page.

Arabi الدليل الطبي لتقديم خدمات الصحة الإنجابية والجنسية - Arabic Version
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning.

Bosnian version Medical and Service Delivery Guidelines - Bosnian version
17 Apr 2007
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning.

Bulgarian versionМеждународна федерация по семейно планиране- Bulgarian version
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning.  

Version FrançaisDirectives médicales et de prestation des services - French version
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning.

Versión EspaňolPoradnictwo medyczne i świadczenie usług- Polish version
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning.

IPPF Medical and Service Delivery Guidelines - Russian Version
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning.

Versión Espaňol Las Pautas Médicas y de Prestación de Servicios - Spanish version
The guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of SRH issues, including family planning.

These Guidelines are intended to improve the knowledge, skills, and confidence of service providers in the delivery of high-quality sexual and reproductive health services.

Based on a client-rights approach, the Guidelines offer up-to-date evidence-based guidance on a range of sexual and reproductive issues, including family planning. 

In the seven years since the last edition, the Guidelines have been extensively updated and made consistent with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2004 Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use and Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use.

Like previous editions, the Guidelines were written with the support and technical expertise of IPPF’s International Medical Advisory Panel (IMAP).                                                                                              

Intended users

The intended users of the Guidelines are: 

  • Programme planners and managers 
  • Clinical services providers 
  • Trainers
  • Supervisors of clinical and community-based services 
  • Doctors, nurses, midwives, and other health professionals

The recommendations are also relevant to community-based services and can be used for developing materials for these workers/volunteers - best done at the local level.

Instructions for use

The Guidelines can be used as a: 

  • Guide for the delivery of services 
  • Reference document for assessing quality of care
  • Training instrument
  • Tool for supervision

For information on ordering hard copies of the Guidelines, please email medtech@ippf.org
File Medical and Service Delivery Guidelines for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services