FRONTIERS Projects | Contraceptive Services in Postpartum, Postabortion, and PMTCT Programs

FRONTIERS PROJECT
Contraceptive Services in Postpartum, Postabortion, and PMTCT Programs

FRONTIERS is working with the Center of Social and Demographic Studies (CESDEM) to assess the use of contraception within services for postpartum care, postabortion care, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). The project will establish current policies with regard to these services and assess their alignment with international standards of care.

Results to date show that there are several shortcomings in family planning services as they are linked to postpartum and postabortion programs. Among the problems are:

family planning programs in the hospitals visited are not linked with other reproductive and sexual health services, including antenatal, delivery, and postpartum care;
contraceptive stockouts;
inadequate quality of the information provided to clients;
lack of training and technical capability of health providers;
lack of follow-up mechanisms; and
inadequate (and often rude) interactions between health providers and clients.

Findings from the study will be disseminated among local and national stakeholders and international groups and will help with the development of an action plan to improve maternal care services.

Location

Dominican Republic

Duration

November 2005–April 2007

Population Council researcher

M. Estela Rivero-Fuentes

Non-Council collaborator

Centro de Estudios Sociales y Demográficos, A.C. (Center of Social and Demographic Studies, or CESDEM)

Donor

US Agency for International Development

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

2008
"Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua: Women living with HIV have unmet family planning needs," FRONTIERS OR Summary no. 75. Washington, DC: Population Council. (full text)

Quiterio, Gisela, Maritza Molina, Marija Miric, Ricardo Vernon, and M. Estela Rivero-Fuentes. "Situation analysis of the integration of family planning services in postpartum, postabortion and prevention of mother to child transmission programs in the Dominican Republic," FRONTIERS Final Report. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF, 614 KB)