FRONTIERS Projects | Documenting the Impact of Quality of Care on Women’s Reproductive Health in the Philippines and Senegal

FRONTIERS PROJECT
Technical Assistance to the Institute of Reproductive Health, Georgetown University in Researching Introduction Strategies for the Standard Days Contraceptive Method

With Georgetown University’s Institute of Reproductive Health (IRH), FRONTIERS provided technical assistance in Ecuador and India to test the effects of scaling up the Standard Days Method (SDM), a natural family planning method, on provider and client behavior. SDM, which is appropriate for women with regular menstrual cycles of between 26 and 32 days, allows users to track their fertile and nonfertile days, using barrier methods to prevent pregnancy on the fertile days.

In Ecuador, FRONTIERS helped IRH and the local nongovernmental partner, CEMOPLAF, design and analyze an evaluation of a mass media campaign for introducing SDM through pharmacies. This evaluation showed that pharmacies are not effective distributors for SDM; CEMOPLAF clinics were more effective than pharmacies or public clinics in distributing the method. The major impact of the campaign was to increase public awareness of SDM. IRH and CEMOPLAF have taken over the development of evaluation instruments without further FRONTIERS assistance.

In India, FRONTIERS helped develop cost-evaluation strategies as part of a pilot project to introduce SDM. Participants in India were able to independently collect cost information, analyze the data, and write a full report.

Location

Ecuador and Jharkand, India

Duration

June 2004–December 2006

Population Council researchers

James Foreit, Saumya RamaRao

Non-Council collaborator

Institute of Reproductive Health (IRH), Georgetown University

Donor

US Agency for International Development

Publications/Resources
Council researchers' names appear in boldface type.

2007
RamaRao, Saumya and James Foreit. "Technical assistance to the Institute of Reproductive Health, Georgetown University in researching introduction strategies for the Standard Days contraceptive method (SDM)," FRONTIERS Final Report. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF)