Population Council Research that makes a difference

This study follows a previous three-year program conducted by PROCOSI to determine the effect of implementing gender sensitivity protocols in its clinics. A post-intervention evaluation of quality of care and gender standards developed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), showed a significant decrease in unmet need for contraception (35%), modest changes in the communication between female clients and their partners, and increased client satisfaction with services in the 10 participating facilities. However, there were problems with the selection of standards, institutionalization of improvements, and the high cost—averaging over US$23,000 per clinic—of implementing the improvements. In 2005, FRONTIERS collaborated with PROCOSI to test the feasibility and costs of a system for certifying that its member organizations provided gender-sensitive reproductive health services.

Related project: Introducing a Quality and Gender Perspective in Reproductive Health Organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean