Background The use of implants has steadily increased in Kinshasa since 2013 but clinic-based acc... more Background The use of implants has steadily increased in Kinshasa since 2013 but clinic-based access to this family planning method is limited due to distance and costs barriers. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of providing Implanon NXT at the community level using medical and nursing students (M/N) as distributors, as part of a strategy to improve contraceptive uptake in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods A cohort of 531 women who chose to receive Implanon NXT from a M/N student during community-based campaign days participated in three rounds of a quantitative survey administered at the time of insertion of the method, and at 6 and 12 months later. We conducted descriptive analysis to assess the feasibility and acceptability of providing the method through M/N students in terms of method choice, user profiles, contraceptive history, experience with insertion and side effects, continuation / discontinuation of the method, and over...
In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), modern contraceptive prevalence is low by in... more In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), modern contraceptive prevalence is low by international standards: 29.6% as of 2020. A 2015 pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of using medical and nursing students to administer DMPA-SC (the subcutaneous injection) among other methods at the community level. The more far-reaching discovery was the potential of clinically trained students to increase access to low-cost contraception in the short-run, while improving the quality of service delivery for future generations of healthcare providers. Scale-up involved integrating the family planning curriculum into the training of nursing students, including classroom instruction in contraceptive technology and service delivery, coupled with a year-long field practicum in which students offered a range of contraceptive methods during intermittent outreach events, door-to-door distribution or sales from their homes. Starting in 2015, a multi-agency team consisting...
Recent research in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has shown that over a quarter of women ... more Recent research in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has shown that over a quarter of women have an unmet need for family planning and that modern contraceptive use is three times higher among urban than rural women. This study focuses on the reasons behind the choices of married men and women to use contraception or not. What are the barriers that have led to low levels of modern contraceptive use among women and men in DRC rural areas? The research team conducted 24 focus groups among women (non-users of any method, users of traditional methods and users of modern methods) and husbands (of non-users or users of traditional methods) in six health zones of three geographically dispersed provinces. The key barriers that emerged were poor spousal communication, sociocultural norms (especially the husband's role as primary decision-maker and the desire for a large family), fear of side-effects and a lack of knowledge. Despite these barriers, many women in the study indicated t...
Background The use of implants has steadily increased in Kinshasa since 2013 but clinic-based acc... more Background The use of implants has steadily increased in Kinshasa since 2013 but clinic-based access to this family planning method is limited due to distance and costs barriers. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of providing Implanon NXT at the community level using medical and nursing students (M/N) as distributors, as part of a strategy to improve contraceptive uptake in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods A cohort of 531 women who chose to receive Implanon NXT from a M/N student during community-based campaign days participated in three rounds of a quantitative survey administered at the time of insertion of the method, and at 6 and 12 months later. We conducted descriptive analysis to assess the feasibility and acceptability of providing the method through M/N students in terms of method choice, user profiles, contraceptive history, experience with insertion and side effects, continuation / discontinuation of the method, and over...
In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), modern contraceptive prevalence is low by in... more In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), modern contraceptive prevalence is low by international standards: 29.6% as of 2020. A 2015 pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of using medical and nursing students to administer DMPA-SC (the subcutaneous injection) among other methods at the community level. The more far-reaching discovery was the potential of clinically trained students to increase access to low-cost contraception in the short-run, while improving the quality of service delivery for future generations of healthcare providers. Scale-up involved integrating the family planning curriculum into the training of nursing students, including classroom instruction in contraceptive technology and service delivery, coupled with a year-long field practicum in which students offered a range of contraceptive methods during intermittent outreach events, door-to-door distribution or sales from their homes. Starting in 2015, a multi-agency team consisting...
Recent research in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has shown that over a quarter of women ... more Recent research in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has shown that over a quarter of women have an unmet need for family planning and that modern contraceptive use is three times higher among urban than rural women. This study focuses on the reasons behind the choices of married men and women to use contraception or not. What are the barriers that have led to low levels of modern contraceptive use among women and men in DRC rural areas? The research team conducted 24 focus groups among women (non-users of any method, users of traditional methods and users of modern methods) and husbands (of non-users or users of traditional methods) in six health zones of three geographically dispersed provinces. The key barriers that emerged were poor spousal communication, sociocultural norms (especially the husband's role as primary decision-maker and the desire for a large family), fear of side-effects and a lack of knowledge. Despite these barriers, many women in the study indicated t...
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