Birth control methods brochures and consents: A health literacy translation project

Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) is a non-profit, anti-poverty agency in Boston, Massachusetts. ABCD's Boston Family Planning Program serves a diverse urban population of women, men and teens, including many recent immigrants. Over 95% of our clients live on less than 200 percent of poverty. Many have limited education. A third has limited English proficiency, requiring services to be provided in languages other than English. Family planning counselors provide clients with comprehensive family planning health education and counseling, including detailed information and on-site provision of contraceptive methods. To support this work, ABCD engaged in a highly participatory process to develop a series of easy-to-read, highly illustrated “How to Use” birth control method brochures describing the male condom, birth control pills, spermicides, diaphragm, IUD, and Depo Provera. The materials were developed in English and then translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Chinese, and Vietnamese, the five languages most commonly spoken by clients in the program. This presentation will demonstrate a materials development and translation process that included review of the English to ensure the use of plain language; translation by experienced translators using non technical, localized terms; review of the translation by bi-cultural, bilingual family planning counselors; review by clients who are native speakers; and the incorporation of feedback. Field testing was essential to ensuring that the content, illustrations, language, and tone were acceptable to both counselors and clients. A similar process is now being used to develop and translate all informed consents and factsheets used by the program.