A pilot study to implement the standard days method in adolescent and young adult women in rural Honduras

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.