Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Irit Sinai, PhD and Marcos Arevalo, MD, MPH. Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University, 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008, (202)687-1392, sinaii@georgetown.edu

Program managers and policy makers considering the introduction of a new family planning method to their programs require information to help them decide how best to take advantage of new methods to improve their services. We compare the characteristics of two new fertility awareness-based methods of family planning, to provide information that can be critical to this decision. The Standard Days Method and the TwoDay Method use different approaches to identify the days each cycle when users are most likely to become. The Standard Days Method is calendar based, while the TwoDay Method is symptom based. To prevent pregnancy users avoid unprotected intercourse on these days. Clinical trials showed that both methods are highly effective. They are easy to teach, learn and use, are acceptable to users and providers, and are feasible for programs to provide. Depending on the needs of individual couples, each method may better meet the needs of some couples. We use data collected in the course of the efficacy studies of both methods – including the efficacy study data, focus groups with users and providers, and the experience of study monitors working with the two methods in various diverse settings – to explore various user, provider, and programmatic issues. We discuss implications of the differences between the methods on how couples use the methods and the profile for which each method may be most appropriate; the effect of the differences on client/provider interaction and on the characteristics of providers and programs that may best offer each method.

Learning Objectives: Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning help women identify the days each cycle when they are most likely to conceive. To prevent pregnancy couples avoid unprotected intercourse on these days. The Standard Days Method and the TwoDay Method use very different approaches to identify the fertile days. At the conclusion of this presentation participants will understand

(
• the differences between the Standard Days Method and the TwoDay Method; (
• how these differences affect users, providers, and family planning programs; (
• implications of these findings for method counseling, method use, and program management.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered