The decision of when, and how many, children to have is one of the most complex and personal in the life of a woman and her partner.

In the waning days of his administration, President Bush issued a federal rule reinforcing protection for doctors and heath care workers who refuse to perform abortions and other procedures because of their religious or moral objections.

Critics have said the rule is so broad it could limit a patient’s right to care and accurate information. In a story reported by the Associated Press, they said the rule could make it possible for a pharmacy clerk, for example, to refuse to sell birth control pills.

Local agencies do not perform abortions in Tahlequah. The closest abortion providers are in Tulsa and Fayetteville.

However, private physicians and local clinics provide family planning services and will continue to do so, representatives say.

The Cherokee County Health Department’s family planning clinic offers counseling (patients are informed of all options, from abstinence to abortion) and a variety of services, said Sheree Caldwell, advanced registered nurse practitioner in charge of the clinic. The family planning clinic is available by appointment or, in some cases, on a walk-in basis for emergencies.

“According to our guidelines, we have to provide our patients with all the information,” Caldwell said. “We don’t provide all birth control methods, but we do provide them with information about those methods.”

She serves women who already have children, women who are sexually active and want birth control, and women who have not yet become sexually active. The clinic distributes birth control pills, IUDs, patches and condoms.

For those who do not wish to alter their body chemistry through hormones, the clinic also offers cycle beads, which allows women to track their menstrual cycle and avoid sexual relations when they are most likely to ovulate.

“Although we do not provide all the options we love to educate,” Caldwell said.

The clinic has five types of birth control pills available. If the practitioner decides another pill would be better for the patient, or the patient desires another type of pill, Caldwell can write a prescription that the patient can fill at a local pharmacy.

Coming to the family planning clinic has another advantage, Caldwell said. To receive birth control or a prescription, the patient must receive a full exam. This includes pap smear and a breast examination, and a sexually transmitted disease screening.

“It’s a head-to-toe assessment,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell doesn’t foresee any problems with people working in the field not supporting family planning work. If they oppose birth control, there are other medical areas they can work in.

“As a nurse practitioner at the health department, for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, I follow the guidelines set for us by the state, which include the family planning guidelines,” she said. “If I had problems giving birth control pills, I would not be working here.”