Women in developing countries now have access to new, simple, low-cost, reliable
natural family planning option
Women in developing countries who want to prevent or plan pregnancy
naturally now have a new choice: a simple, effective, low-cost natural method that
is a major improvement over traditional natural family planning methods used by
many couples throughout the world. Under the Standard Days Method™ (SDM), developed
by Georgetown University's Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH), women use a
string of color-coded beads called CycleBeads™ to track their menstrual cycles
and identify the period when pregnancy is most likely.
Unlike other fertility awareness-based options, the SDM is easy
to teach, to learn, and to use. The new method is very effective; when used
correctly, its efficacy rate is similar to other family planning approaches
and higher than traditional fertility awareness-based methods. And the SDM's
low cost means it can be easily and inexpensively integrated into existing
health care programs. This is an important consideration in developing countries
where resources are often limited, especially now when the need for family
planning services is increasing while program funding is on the decline.
Georgetown University is working with health officials in 15
countries around the world to promote the use of the SDM and help them
incorporate it into their existing service delivery systems. The Institute
provides training programs and publishes training materials to teach all types
of service providers, from clinicians to community personnel, and health
program managers about the new family planning approach.
The most recently introduced training resource on the SDM is a
CD-ROM containing a 21-minute multimedia tutorial, produced jointly by IRH and
Jhpiego, an international health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins
University. According to IRH Director Victoria Jennings, PhD, the new CD-ROM
is a welcome addition to the array of training materials on the new method.
"Just as the SDM and the CycleBeads take a very complex concept and make it
easily understood by providers and clients alike," she said, "the CD-ROM
developed by IRH and Jhpiego takes very complex scientific information and
simplifies it for health policymakers and providers."
The two organizations are distributing the CD-ROM to
reproductive health professionals at universities, health agencies, and
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) around the world, including the
United States.
Developing the Standard Days Method
Supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), IRH began work on the new method in 1999, with the goal of
developing a simple, effective and acceptable alternative to available
fertility-awareness approaches, such as the calendar ("rhythm") method.
These methods are difficult to use correctly and consequently have lower
efficacy rates than many other methods. What was needed, particularly in
the developing world, said Jennings, was "a more accessible method that
is simple to teach, learn and use."
The IRH researchers used data from the World Health Organization
to calculate a 12-day period of the menstrual cycle when the probability of
pregnancy is highest. During this "fertile window"—days 8 through 19 for most
women—couples wanting to prevent pregnancy should avoid unprotected intercourse.
On those days they may choose to use another method, such as condoms, or to
abstain from intercourse altogether.
Clinical studies conducted by IRH in Bolivia, Peru and the Philippines
confirmed that the SDM is easy to teach, learn and use. Almost 97 percent
of the participants used the method correctly after one brief session with
trained health care providers. The study also concluded that the SDM is
highly effective: when used correctly, the first year pregnancy rate was
less than 5 percent, comparable to the rate for other user-controlled methods.
Experiences in the countries where the SDM has been introduced so far
indicate that many public and private providers are offering the new method,
and many clients are requesting it. According to preliminary observations in
some countries, a significant percentage of those choosing the SDM had never
used any form of family planning before, IRH reports.
Jhpiego has long been a leader in the field of international
reproductive health working to increase the availability of high quality reproductive
health care services, including a full range of family planning methods. Through
its Training in Reproductive Health (TRH) Project, Jhpiego is partnering with
other private and public organizations in over 30 countries to improve the
performance of reproductive health professionals by strengthening education
and training systems, advocating for sound reproductive health policy, and
applying innovative learning interventions, such as this new CD-ROM.
In partnership with IRH, Jhpiego's TRH Project is conducting
a pilot study in Burkina Faso to test the programmatic feasibility of
introducing the SDM into the current mix of family planning methods provided
at three reproductive health clinics. The study will also examine the
acceptability of the method by providers and clients at the clinics.
About the CD-ROM
The CD-ROM on the SDM, in both English and Spanish
(a French version is under development), includes an audio narration and graphics
explaining how the SDM works, its biological basis and contraceptive effectiveness,
the service delivery process, and how it can be integrated into public and
private reproductive health programs. It also contains information on additional
resources for providers, a self-checking quiz, and a list of frequently asked
questions about the method. IRH prepared the content of the CD-ROM while
Jhpiego's Learning and Performance Support Office developed the online
multimedia program as part of its ReproLearn® tutorial service. USAID provided
support for the development of the CD-ROM. Copies can be ordered ($3 each plus
shipping costs) through Jhpiego's Web site.
About Jhpiego
For 35 years, Jhpiego, (pronounced "ja-pie-go"), has empowered front-line health
workers by designing and implementing simple, low-cost, hands-on solutions that
strengthen the delivery of health care services, following the
household-to-hospital continuum of care. We partner with community- to
national-level organizations to build sustainable, local capacity through
advocacy, policy and guidelines development, and quality and performance
improvement approaches.
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