FRONTIERS Projects | Increasing Access to Long-term Contraceptives Through the MOH in Guatemala

FRONTIERS PROJECT
Increasing Access to Long-term Contraceptives Through the MOH in Guatemala

FRONTIERS collaborated with the Ministry of Health and the Association of Preventive Health So Woman Can Live Better (APROVIME) to test a model for training nurse auxiliaries to provide intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, counseling, and removal at health centers and health posts. The project, which follows up a diagnostic study on IUD use in Guatemala, was conducted in two 12-month phases and involved 68 health centers and nine health posts in five Guatemalan health areas. The training strategy included theoretical and practical instruction, job aids, and supervisory follow-up. In the first phase, 45 of 52 enrolled providers completed training and delivered 301 IUD services. In the second phase, however, only 45 of 114 providers completed training (with attrition mainly due to inability to commit to the full training period) and delivered 424 IUD services. Access to IUDs increased overall, and the average couple-year protection (provided through all family planning methods) increased following the intervention, especially in the health centers. The training materials have been adapted for use by other organizations.

Location

Guatemala

Duration

January 2003–January 2005

Population Council researchers

Ricardo Vernon, Carlos Brambila, Jorge Solórzano

(For more information about this study, please contact frontiers@popcouncil.org.)

Non-Council collaborators

Edwin Montufar, Carlos Morales (APROVIME)

Guatemala Ministry of Health

Donor

US Agency for International Development

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

2005
Montufar, Edwin, Carlos Morales, Ricardo Vernon, Carlos Brambila, and Jorge Solórzano. "Improving access to long-term contraceptives in rural Guatemala through the Ministry of Health," FRONTIERS Final Report. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF, 274 KB)