Suchergebnisse

BACKGROUND: Use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) has grown rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and Uganda. Uptake of LARCs is particularly high during mobile outreach and special family planning day events. It is therefore important to examine client perceptions of and experiences with full, free, and informed choice (FFIC) in different service delivery modalities. METHODS: Between April and July 2015, we conducted a cross-sectional family planning client survey to assess FFIC and client satisfaction at static, mobile outreach, and special family planning day services in the DRC (n=9 sites), Tanzania (n=13), and Uganda (n=8). The study investigated clients' perceptions across 13 elements of FFIC, including measures of the quality of counseling and respondent satisfaction with services across the service delivery approaches. Composite FFIC scores were constructed and analyzed as the proportion of women who reported affirmatively to all elements and the mean score of positive responses. Satisfaction was assessed using a 4-point Likert scale. We used logistic regression to assess the association between the primary outcomes and mode of service delivery. RESULTS: In total, we interviewed 585 women (n=150 in Uganda, n=200 in Tanzania, and n=235 in the DRC). The large majority of clients in all countries and modalities received their method of choice. Clients of mobile outreach and special family planning days preferred LARCs and permanent methods, particularly implants, compared with clients at static services. Composite measures of FFIC were lower for mobile outreach than for static services in Tanzania among all family planning clients (odds ratio [OR]=0.5; P≤.001) and among LARC clients specifically (OR=0.5; P≤.01); no significant differences were found in the DRC or Uganda. A mean FFIC score among all family planning clients showed that clients in all modalities in all countries reported experiencing most elements of FFIC, with averages ranging from 4.8 to 6.1 of 7 elements. Among LARC clients specifically, mean scores ranged from 8.3 to 9.8 of 11 elements. Where greater proportions of clients experienced higher FFIC, greater proportions of clients also tended to report being "very satisfied" with aspects of services and counseling. CONCLUSIONS: The results underscore that special family planning days and mobile outreach services are important and viable ways to increase women's access to family planning services, notably to LARCs, but further attention to respecting and fulfilling clients' full, free, and informed choice across all service delivery modalities is required.

Despite the widely agreed importance of measuring quality of care (QoC), client perspectives are often missing from routine monitoring and studies. The Evidence Project has developed a package of validated, evidence-based tools and training materials to support governments and implementing partners in measuring and monitoring QoC. Measuring QoC from clients' perspectives will help programs celebrate successes, target areas for improvement, and ultimately improve uptake and continuation of voluntary contraceptive use.

AbstractThis study assessed the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the number of new contraceptive acceptors in Senegal overall and by method. Monthly service data from March 2019 to December 2020 were extracted for the number of new contraceptive users of IUDs, implants, injectables, and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and interrupted time series analysis for trend analyses overall and by the contraceptive method. Following the announcement of the first COVID‐19 case in Senegal in March 2020, there was an immediate significant decrease in the number of new acceptors overall, and for new users of implants and injectables. From March–December 2020, the trend in monthly new family planning acceptors increased overall, mainly driven by significant increases in new IUD and implant acceptors. Compared to the period before the onset of COVID‐19, there was a statistically significant shift from shorter‐acting methods (OCPs, injectables) to long‐acting reversible methods (IUDs, implants). Despite the immediate adverse impact of COVID‐19‐related restrictions, the number of new acceptors rebounded, trends in the number of new monthly acceptors significantly increased, and there was a significant shift to longer‐acting methods.