PIP: The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) clinics are attended by women who need family planning advice, by women who need marriage guidance, or by infertile women. Usually the husband comes in with the wife. A gynecological examination of the woman and a Pap smear are done routinely. The pill has been the most frequently chosen contraceptive. For women who do not want to take the pill, the alternatives are the diaphragm, cap, or the IUD. The IUD is approved by the clinics when there are no contraindications and when other methods are not suitable; a consent form has to be signed by both partners. Yearly check-ups are advised in the absence of complications or side effects. The author ends the paper with some personal views on the importance of family planning and its organization as a part of health services.