Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) is a well-established umbrella term used by sexual and reproductive health providers and experts. LARC, as a term, encompasses all FDA-approved birth control methods that provide long-term pregnancy prevention options, are reversible (unlike sterilization or permanent contraception), and are proven to be highly effective.
The LARC category of birth control methods includes the intrauterine device (IUD) and the contraceptive implant. The intrauterine device, often interchangeably called an intrauterine contraceptive (IUC), is a small t-shaped device inserted into the uterus by a licensed provider to prevent pregnancy. The contraceptive implant is placed in the arm. While both options are reversible, unlike permanent contraception or sterilization, they require a provider to remove them.
At CTC-SRH, we use the term ‘intrauterine contraceptive/IUC’ instead of ‘intrauterine device/IUD’ because it is a generic term that can include any of the devices regardless of the method of action.
The CTC-SRH offers intrauterine contraceptive (IUC) training for Title X clinical services providers and other sexual and reproductive healthcare providers. We have been successfully providing IUC training since 2008, with participants reporting that the training is successful in skills development and building confidence in performing IUC placement and removal.
The IUC training is developed and delivered by highly-experienced subject matter experts. This training aims to offer healthcare providers in-depth knowledge of IUC placement and removal skills and a discussion of challenging cases that can occur with LARC. It consists of 3 separate sessions: (1) an online didactic session, (2) a skills review and hands-on practice session, and (3) LARC Challenging Cases. These three separate, consecutive sessions developed by the CTC-SRH’s expert team create a dynamic training that improves confidence amongst providers.
Our goal is to serve Title X clinical services providers, and increase their capacity to deliver high-quality sexual and reproductive health services. Recognizing that Title X clinics serve a diverse group of people, we design, develop, and implement our trainings and resources with a focus on quality, equity, and access at the core. We affirm the need for services for anyone who can become pregnant, including cisgender women, transgender men, nonbinary people, and others.
The IUC Training is intended for licensed clinical providers (CNM, NP, PA, DO, or MD) in the United States and its territories that wish to provide IUC placement and removal services. This training is not available to students as part of their educational curriculum.
The CTC-SRH is federally funded to serve Title X recipients by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs. Therefore, all our training, including this intrauterine contraceptive training, is free for clinical providers that practice IUC services within a Title X family planning setting. However, non-Title X individuals can still access our resources and attend our training for a fee (the fee for non-Title X providers in 2023 is $475).
During registration, you can select if you are a Title X or non-Title X affiliate. If you are unsure of your clinic status, you can clarify with your administrator or search for your clinic on the Title X Clinic Finder.
Each IUC training is led by a highly-experienced reproductive health provider. Clinicians who participate in the training receive real-time feedback and coaching with simulation practice. The CTC-SRH has been successfully providing intrauterine contraception (IUC) training since 2008 and evaluations confirm that the trainings are successful in skills development and building confidence in performing IUC placement and removal.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the CTC-SRH’s ability to host and travel to face-to-face clinical skills trainings in 2020. Therefore, to continue meeting the needs of the Title X workforce, the CTC-SRH transitioned onsite intrauterine contraception training to a virtual format using online didactic material and live-streamed training and telementoring. This format has become increasingly popular and has proven to be a valuable option as the sexual and reproductive field evolves to serve the needs of the Title X network.
By introducing virtual skills training, the CTC-SRH has expanded its reach to providers who once were unable to travel to in-person events. Learn more about our shift to virtual training from our report, Virtual Skills Training Format for Teaching Intrauterine Contraception Insertion During Coronavirus Disease 2019,” Journal for Nurse Practitioners.
If you are attending an onsite training, CTC-SRH will provide IUC demonstration/training kits along with pelvic models at the training location.
If you are attending a virtual training, we will ship IUC demonstration training kits and a pelvic model to you with a training kit deposit. Return the pelvic model using the included return label within 7 days of your training and receive your training kit deposit back in full.
View the Calendar and select the registration link next to the training date that works best for you. Spots will fill up quickly!
Timing: 1 Month Before Skills Training
After you register for your preferred date, you will receive a link one month before the hands-on skills training to access the online didactic course located on our eLearning management system. This course should be completed before the skills training (Part 2) regardless of whether you plan to attend a virtual (online) skills training or an on-site (in-person) skills training.
Timing: Your First Training Date
Whether you are training virtually via Zoom, or onsite at a designated location, this session will provide a brief review of the Part 1 pre-work followed by hands-on practice with the IUC demonstration/training kits and a pelvic models.
Timing: Your Second Training Date - up to 1 Month After Your Training Date
(Virtual) You will return virtually 4 weeks from your Part 2 training date to complete the Challenging Cases didactic session, consult with colleagues and mentors, and review your/your agency’s progress.
(Onsite) If attending an onsite IUC training, you may take Challenging Cases onsite the same day or virtually 4 weeks later. Requests for trainings can be personalized to fit your optimal schedule.
The Clinical Training Center for Sexual + Reproductive Health will present IUC training for Title X ...
October 10 @ 9:00 am - 6:30 pm MDTThe CTC-SRH has created resources such as job aids, podcasts, and clinical protocol templates to help providers perform IUC-related tasks.
In the latest installment of the ongoing series, Coding with Ann, Ann Finn, of Ann Finn LLC, discusses updated guidance on common LARC miscodes with the CTC-SRH.
These Intrauterine Contraception (IUC) Algorithms can be used by providers for reference when IUC is the preferred method of contraception by clients.
In episode 21 of the NCTCFP's popular Coding with Ann series, Ann Finn, of Ann Finn LLC, provides updated guidance common codes used when billing for IUDs and IUD-related services.
This protocol template is written with several decision points that must be addressed before the protocol is ready for use. Local agencies can use this protocol template to tailor content to their own organization. Decision points are identified as ‘NOTE‘ in the template protocol. Local agencies should only include information that reflects their own organization’s current practices.
This job aid includes essential health history and physical exam considerations for intrauterine contraception (IUC) placement. Characteristics of health history, age, and parity are matched to Medical Eligibility Criteria categories to assist with shared decision making in contraceptive counseling.
This job aid prepares clinicians on the risks factors, prevention of, and management of perforation while placing intrauterine contraception (IUC).
This palm card explores the physical differences between intrauterine contraception (IUC) units on one side to assist providers in identifying IUCs based on their appearance. The other side of the card compares the primary and secondary method of action of levonorgestrel and copper IUCs.
This palm card is intended for staff who provide setup for intrauterine contraception (IUC) procedures.
For more than 50 years, the Title X program, funded by the Office of Population Affairs (OPA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has served as the nation’s family planning program, supporting a network of grantees providing high-quality sexual and reproductive health care to millions of people coast to coast, with a mandate to serve primarily low-income and adolescent patients.
If the clinic you primarily work with receives Title X funds, you are considered a Title X participant. If you are unsure of your clinic status, you can clarify with your administrator or search for your clinic on the Title X Clinic Finder.
All Title X providers may attend the training and receive CE for free. Those that are not Title X affiliated will be required to pay to attend the training and receive CE. The registration fee includes the CE fee.
While there is no formal certification required to place or remove intrauterine contraception, the best practice is to enroll in a didactic course along with attending a hands-on education course prior to the placement or removal of intrauterine contraception. Our course provides the foundation for clinicians with the expectation of proper mentorship before performing placements and removals on live patients.
We do not provide implant placement skills training in our virtual training, as only Organon is certified to offer Nexplanon placement and removal training.
However, implant training is offered during our onsite IUC skills training. This is because we invite Organon to co-locate their training alongside our onsite training.
If you are unable to attend an onsite training, we do provide referrals to two organizations that provide Nexplanon training and you can learn more here.
We encourage colleagues to take the course together. You can share the pelvic model with a colleague who is enrolled in the same training session. We recommend a maximum of 2 participants to one model.
For assistance, please contact Alexis Bates at least three weeks before your selected training date by emailing alexis.bates@umkc.edu.
Please contact Alexis Bates with details about your organization, size of the team, and preferred training dates by emailing alexis.bates@umkc.edu.
Founded as the National Clinical Training Center for Family Planning (NCTCFP) in 2006, we changed our name to the Clinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health (CTC-SRH) in 2023. We have been funded by the Office of Population Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services since inception and remain the primary source of clinical training for those providing sexual and reproductive health care in federally-funded settings.
Having served the Title X network for nearly two decades, our team of clinical experts recognized that the term “family planning” falls short of describing the client-centered and inclusive sexual and reproductive health services we offer, especially in an increasingly urgent and rapidly shifting healthcare landscape.
The newly-renamed Clinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health (CTC-SRH) continues to provide evidence-based clinical training and resources to healthcare providers in Title X settings through increased healthcare quality, equity, and access.
