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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jerry Marcus, MA, Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University, 4301 Connecticut Ave, Suite 310, Washington, DC 20008, 202 687 2738, jm434@georgetown.edu

The Standard Days Method (SDM) of family planning is a natural method that when used correctly has a failure rate of less than 5 percent. Correct use is contingent upon use of condoms or abstinence during the fertile period of the woman's menstrual cycle. Counseling for the method, which can be done with both partners present or with the woman alone, addresses the importance of couple communication and the necessity for both partners to agree upon a program of abstinence and/or consistent condom use. This aspect of SDM counseling and method use is unique among family planning methods and it has been postulated that it contributes to improved couple communication and women's empowerment. In Guatemala, baseline and endline interviews were conducted with approximately 1,000 women and men using the SDM. The baseline interview took place within one month of initial acceptance and counseling and the endline after six months of use. Questions included scales to measure changes in overall couple communication; women's autonomy in terms of sexual relations and use of family planning; and decision making as it relates to the management of household resources. Preliminary results suggest that after using the SDM, women and men are more comfortable talking about sex in terms of when and whether to have relations and whether to use a condom. Women reported that they had greater decision making power within the household. Strategies for including couple issues in counseling are discussed. Implications of these strategies for other family planning methods will be considered.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Articulate how to effectively incorporate couple communication issues into family planning counseling.
• Identify the potential benefits of encouraging male participation in family planning use.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered