Welcome to the Tucson Women’s Center Family Planning resource page. As Tucson’s only privately owned family planning facility, we have been providing women in southern Arizona and beyond with the highest quality services available. We offer a full range of services including:

PLEASE NOTE: On September 30, 2009, the omnibus abortion bill became law. This law requires that patients seeking abortion care review state requires materials at least 24 hours prior to their scheduled abortion procedure. We are currently working to make this process as efficient as possible while still adhering to the new regulations. We have therefore created a process that allows patients to read these materials online. Click here to access our online informed consent overview page.

Understanding your options as they relate to family planning can be very confusing. The information available is often inconsistent and/or biased. The information contained here is based not only on medical fact, but also from real patient feedback. We hope that you will find this information helpful in your decision making.

The pill abortion and surgical abortion are both safe ways to end an unplanned early pregnancy. By talking to patients who have used one or both methods, we have received feedback on the relative advantages and disadvantages of each process. Medical abortion has the advantage of being less invasive and can also be completed in the privacy of your own home. Our patients have been very satisfied with this method. They site the fact that this method does not require a ride to the office and therefore is more private. Patients who prefer a process that resembles a spontaneous miscarriage prefer this method. Our patients have also mentioned some disadvantages. Bleeding lasts longer and is heavier with this method. Patients who have had both a surgical and medical abortion have stated that they had more cramping with Mifiprex owing to the fact that stronger pain medications can be given in the office.

Surgical abortion has the advantage of being quicker and causing less bleeding. Sedation given in the office at the time of the procedure makes patients comfortable and in some cases, has caused them to forget the details of what happened during the procedure. Disadvantages include the need for more invasive procedures such as an intravenous injection and a pelvic examination, and a slightly greater possibility of injury to internal organs.

If you are still unsure about what method to choose, you can schedule an appointment to discuss your options.

We also provide these services to minors who have a signed parental consent form or who have court ordered permission. You can find out more about Arizona law as it relates to abortions for minors by going to the Arizona Supreme Court website. You may also download the parental notification forms there.

For your convenience, Tucson Women’s Center offers Plan B (a.k.a the morning after pill). When taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, this medication can prevent unplanned pregnancy in 84% of cases. You can purchase Plan B online or at our office.

We can prescribe the birth control pill that is best for you. If you are an established patient and/or can provide us with the results of your most recent pap smear, we will provide you with birth control pills for up to 1 year without requiring you to come to the office for an examination. You may also purchase the birth control shot ( Depo Provera), which is given as an injection every three months, in the office.

IUD’s, diaphragms, and other specialized methods can be discussed with one of our health care provider. You can also learn more about these and other methods of contraception in our educational section.

Adoption is also an option that we can facilitate for our patients. We have worked successfully with a number of agencies. Our longest association has been with Catholic Social Services. You can click on their link on the Community Partners page to find out about programs that may be available.