OKLAHOMA CITY – Becoming a parent is a life-altering event that has a major impact on the father as well as the mother. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority realizes many men are taking a more active role in deciding when or whether to become a father.

That’s why SoonerPlan, a family planning program, also offers services for men. Men who qualify for the program can get annual health screenings and birth control products, and men age 21 and older can get vasectomies if they have decided they don’t want to father any more children.

To qualify for SoonerPlan, an applicant must be 19 or older, be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien living in Oklahoma, not have health insurance and meet income standards.

SoonerPlan members receive medically necessary office visits related to family planning. Members may also be screened for sexually transmitted infections if the purpose of their office visit is family planning.

SoonerPlan also covers physical examinations and Pap smears for women and provides birth control information and supplies.

The program is offered by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Applications for SoonerPlan are available at local health departments; Oklahoma Department of Human Services county offices; family planning providers and clinics; the OHCA Web site, www.okhca.org; or by calling the OHCA at (800) 987-7767 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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