Population Council Research that makes a difference

In Egypt, unplanned pregnancy and less-than-ideal birth spacing are common. They are particularly common among women who have had an abortion or miscarriage. Misunderstanding of the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) is a significant factor in women’s failure to space or limit births in the manner they wish. This fact underscores the importance of making family planning methods and counseling—including LAM—available for women in the postabortion period. This project (formally titled "Enhancing Postpartum and Postabortion Use of Family Planning and Addressing Incorrect Practices in Use of Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) in Egypt") builds on the findings of a previous FRONTIERS project that tested ways to link family planning with postabortion services in Egypt. It focuses on helping the Egyptian government build its capacity to promote the correct use of LAM.

By working with experts, researchers first identified practices common misconceptions, and training related to LAM. Based on this information, researchers developed training modules on providing family planning to postabortion clients, introduced a LAM module for physicians and nurses (as well as a frequently-asked-questions document for clients), and developed a cadre of master trainers for the new curriculum. In addition, 246 senior physicians and nurses from 50 hospitals in five governorates were trained. This project was effective in raising awareness among postpartum women about postpartum contraception and use of LAM; and developing capacity for providing postpartum/ postabortion family planning in hospital settings.