292574
A pilot study to implement the standard days method in adolescent and young adult women in rural Honduras
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Background- Early marriage and early childbirth are persistently high in rural Honduras. There is a lack of an adequate supply of modern contraceptives. A pilot study was done to implement the Standard Days Method (SDM) in adolescent and young adult women in Ocote Paulino, Honduras. The SDM employs a visual tool comprising of a string of beads which helps women understand when they are most and least likely to get pregnant by tracking their fertility cycles. Methods- The study was conducted during two site visits in 2010 and 2011, when a 15 question survey was utilized to demonstrate baseline knowledge pertaining to fertility and contraception, following which participants were counseled on correct use of the method. An immediate post-test questionnaire helped ascertain knowledge acquisition and comprehension of correct use. A six month post-test follow-up was done to measure knowledge retention. Communication was established through bilingual translators. Results- Although most participants (90%) did not intend to get pregnant over the next 12 months, only 46% used some form of contraception. Seventy seven percent could not identify the fertile window as the time when a woman is most likely to get pregnant. Although almost 40% said that they abstained from having sex during certain days to avoid getting pregnant, only 26% did so during the fertile window. Knowledge acquisition and knowledge retention were found to be high. Conclusion- With the high unmet need, the SDM could prove to be an important contraceptive option for adolescent and young adult women in Ocote Paulino.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Learning Objectives:
Describe a fertility awareness based method of family planning called the Standard Days Method.
Discuss how the Standard Days Method can be employed to educate adolescents and young adult women about reproductive and sexual health.
Identify strategies to successfully implement adolescent reproductive and sexual health interventions in culturally diverse settings.
Keyword(s): Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Adolescents, International
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a physician, researcher and public health professional with a decade of experience in adolescent reproductive and sexual health in diverse cultural and geographical settings. As a research specialist on a federal teen pregnancy prevention study, I have assisted with management and implementation of the project. Currently, as a Program Manager with a national organization which focuses on ARSH I lead a task on a federal grant that seeks to prevent teen pregnancy.
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.
