Online Program

290946
Impact of exposure to family planning interventions on abortion rates and modern contraceptive use in Georgia


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Nino Lomia, MD, MPH, USAID SUSTAIN Project, John Snow Inc., Tbilisi, Georgia
Philippe LeMay, MBA, USAID SUSTAIN Project, John Snow Inc., Tbilisi, Georgia
Lia Umikashvili, MD, MPH, USAID SUSTAIN Project, John Snow Inc, Tbilisi, Georgia
Kartlos Kankadze, MD, PhD, USAID SUSTAIN project, John Snow Inc, Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgia does not have a national family planning (FP) program and all FP activities are maintained with donor support. Since 2003, two JSI projects (USAID funded), have been operational to improve awareness of and access to modern FP through national communication campaigns, trainings of primary health care (PHC) providers and pharmacists, supportive supervision and distribution of USAID donated contraceptives (pills, IUD, condoms) to PHC and women consultation centers. The Georgia Reproductive Health Survey 2010 revealed dramatic decline in the abortion rate (1.6 vs 3.1 in 2005) and increase in contraceptive prevalence (32% vs 28% in 2005). These positive trends were particularly notable in regions with more exposure to FP program interventions. Imereti and Kakheti, the first regions ever targeted by the program, followed by Samegrelo and Shida Kartli (both with IDP settlements) showed the most significant decrease in abortion rates (1.6, 1.9, 2.1 and 2.2 vs 3.1, 3.8, 2.4 and 3.9 in 2005). Modern contraceptive use among married women is highest in these regions (34.4%, 36.6%, 43.3% and 36.1%). The use of pills is reported to be the highest in Kakheti and Samegrelo (7.5% and 8.5%), whereas the use of IUDs is highest in all four regions (14.8%. 14.5%, 14.8% and 15.8%). The percentage of condom users is also high in these regions (9.1%, 11.5%, 12.2% and 13.2%). Further expansion of FP interventions is critical to reach similar results nationwide and a sustainable platform for supply and demand of high quality FP services needs to replace the donor supported program.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Assess the impact of exposure to family planning interventions on abortion rates and modern contraceptive use in Georgia; Discuss the importance of expansion of FP interventions to further reduce the abortion rate and increase contraceptive prevalence in Georgia; Discuss the importance of building a sustainable platform for supply and demand of quality FP services to replace the donor supported program.

Keyword(s): Family Planning, Contraceptives

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have conducted the secondary analysis of the Georgia Reproductive Health Survey 2010 as a principal investigator: conducting statistical analysis, analyzing the study findings and preparing final study report.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.