Population Council Research that makes a difference

APHA 139th Annual Meeting and Exposition
29 October–2 November 2011

Abstract

"Increasing rational use of modern contraceptives in Bangladesh: Experiences from operations research"
Md. Mahabub Ul Anwar, Ubaidur Rob, and Ismat Ara Hena

Despite a considerable achievement in increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate from 8 percent to 56 percent, discontinuation rates remain high in Bangladesh. Moreover, contraceptive use is tilted toward temporary methods, and the use of long-acting and/or permanent methods (LA/PM) has decreased over time. In order to increase the rational use of modern contraceptives and decrease discontinuation rates, an operations research study was conducted in six selected low-performing rural areas in Bangladesh. Four major interventions were introduced: (1) enhancing the technical capacity of service providers; (2) strengthening the physical infrastructure and supply system of health facilities; (3) creating awareness of family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) issues; and (4) involving the community through community support groups (CSG) and peer promoters. Results show that there was a significant increase in the use of LA/PMs in the intervention areas, while little change was observed in the control areas. Furthermore, a moderate increase in the use of all modern contraceptives was registered in all intervention areas. The overall discontinuation rate of the IUD and injectables was reduced. Research suggests that participation of community stakeholders in FP/RH activities through CSG is a critical intervention, contributing considerably to achieving the objectives of the study. This strategic intervention helped increase awareness of FP and RH issues and availability of services for the community, resulting in increased use of those services by the people in the community. The peer promoters were found to be effective in motivating potential clients. Findings will help researchers develop effective interventions to increase rational use of modern contraceptives.

Learning areas

• Program planning
• Public health or related research
  
  

Learning objectives

• Interventions that help to increase the use of modern contraceptives
• Interventions that help to decrease the discontinuation of modern contraceptives
• How to involve community members in family planning activities

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Offsite link: APHA 2011 conference Web site

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