The use of paramedics in family planning services in Iran.

In the Family Planning Department of Farah Maternity Hospital, from 1968 to 1976, paramedics were trained to administer all reversible methods of family planning and pregnancy termination up to ten weeks and to perform a limited number of abdominal and vaginal tubectomies (1). From 1974 to 1976, all the above methods, except tubal ligation, were performed satisfactorily on 460 417 acceptors at a clinic not located in the hospital. The complication rate of 1%-5% was the same whether the procedures were performed by paramedics or by physicians. The project has been economical. It has been accepted by both patients and paramedics and has freed doctors to carry out other work.