Original scientific paper
Trends in Family Planning and Contraception Carried out in Primary Health Care in Croatia: 1995–2012: Study Based on Routinely Collected Data
Renata Pavlov
orcid.org/0000-0001-6509-4907
; Family Practice »Dr. Renata Pavlov«, Zagreb, Croatia
Vlatka Hajdinjak Trstenjak
; Family Practice »Dr. Vlatka Hajdinjak Trstenjak«, Šenkovec, Croatia
Ivana Babić
; Family Practice »Dr. Ivana Babi}«, Sveti Martin na Muri, Croatia
Miro Benčić
; Health Center Zagreb County, Family Practice Brdovec, Zaprešić, Croatia
Igor Srček
; Health Center Sisak, Gynecological Practice, Hrvatska Kostajnica, Croatia
Abstract
The lack of objective findings provided the reason to undertake this study with the main aim of exploring the trends in
family planning and contraception carried out in primary health care in Croatia. Based on the Croatian health statistical
yearbooks from 1995 to 2012, data were collected on the number and structure of visits and the number and type of
prescribed contraceptives by public and private gynecological practices, and visits to family practices and school medicine
services. The results showed that only a small number of fertile women received primary care for family planning issues,
trends that are evident through the entire follow-up period. A trend of »migration« from the public to the private
sector is also observed. Family doctors and school medicine are almost entirely excluded from the provision of family
planning despite the magnitude of the family planning problem resulting in a waste of human and material resources.
Keywords
primary health care; family planning; contraception; gynecology; family medicine; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
147541
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2014.
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