Guttmacher Institute |

Client-provider interaction is the verbal and nonverbal communication that occurs between staff of a health care program and individuals seeking information or services. Good client-provider interaction is one goal of a worldwide movement that places family planning and reproductive health in a human rights context in which responding to the client's needs rather than achieving a demographic or other outcome is the primary objective. Current guidelines for client-provider interaction generally assume that the client is a woman. There is little empirical evidence to suggest how or why client-provider interaction should be modified when the client is a man or a male-female couple. This article examines the available literature and empirical data to highlight benefits and potential pitfalls in client-provider interaction when the client is male, and it includes suggestions for provider training to maximize benefits and reduce risks.

Date: 2002