Despite the importance of menstruation and the menstrual cycle to health, human rights, and sociocultural and economic wellbeing, the study of menstrual health suffers from a lack of funding, and research remains fractured across many disciplines. We sought to systematically review validated approaches to measure four aspects of changes to the menstrual cycle-bleeding, blood, pain, and perceptions-caused by any source and used within any field. We then evaluated the measure quality and utility for clinical trials of the identified instruments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In global health, persistent barriers and challenges to bridging the gap between research and practice remain critical to address in most health areas. The High Impact Practices (HIPs) briefs and strategic planning guides aim to bridge the know-do gap in family planning (FP) by facilitating research utilization and knowledge sharing and also providing a summary of experiential knowledge from experts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess the use, usefulness, and application of these 2 knowledge products developed by the HIP Partnership for decision-makers and implementers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We describe how High Impact Practices (HIPs) in family planning (FP) were adapted across Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe to maintain access to services in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: Using a qualitative data collection tool structured around 3 HIP categories (service delivery, demand creation, and enabling environment), adaptations in FP programs during the pandemic were documented. We describe adaptations made to 3 specific HIPs: mobile outreach, community health workers, and digital health for social and behavior change.
: Contraceptive-induced menstrual changes (CIMCs) can affect family planning (FP) users' lives in both positive and negative ways, resulting in both opportunities and consequences. Despite this, and despite the important links between FP and menstrual health (MH), neither field adequately addresses CIMCs, including in research, product development, policies, and programs globally. : In November 2020, a convening of both MH and FP experts reviewed the existing evidence on CIMCs and identified significant gaps in key areas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Immediate postpartum family planning (IPPFP) helps prevent unintended and closely spaced pregnancies. Despite Ethiopia's rising facility-based delivery rate and supportive IPPFP policies, the prevalence of postpartum contraceptive use remains low, with little known about disparities in access to IPPFP counseling. We sought to understand if women's receipt of IPPFP counseling varied by individual and facility characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To generate regional, residential, and nationally representative estimates of knowledge of abortion legality and availability among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia, and examine how knowledge varies across regions and by urban/rural residence.
Study Design: Our study draws on data from a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey implemented in 2019 in each of Ethiopia's regional and administrative states, yielding a sample of 8,837 women aged 15 to 49. We compare weighted estimates and regional distributions of 3 outcomes: (1) general awareness and (2) correct knowledge of the abortion law, and (3) knowledge of facility-based abortion service availability.
Objectives: To generate regional, residential, and nationally representative estimates of knowledge of abortion legality and availability among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia, and examine how knowledge varies across regions and by urban/rural residence.
Study Design: Our study draws on data from a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey implemented in 2019 in each of Ethiopia's regional and administrative states, yielding a sample of 8,837 women aged 15-49. We compare weighted estimates and regional distributions of three outcomes: 1) general awareness and 2) correct knowledge of the abortion law, and 3) knowledge of facility-based abortion service availability.
Since 2009, the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) has served as an opportunity for the global reproductive health community to share FP advances and practice lessons in the areas of research, programming, and advocacy. The purpose of this paper was to synthesize the key results and findings presented by members of the FP community at the 2018 ICFP Conference. More than 700 abstracts from all 15 conference tracks were reviewed and 64 abstracts total were selected for this paper based on the novelty and urgency of the findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSex Reprod Health Matters
December 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially strained health systems across the globe. In particular, documented disruptions to voluntary family planning and reproductive health care due to competing health priorities, service disruptions, stockouts, and lockdowns are significantly impacting reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health. As governments and family planning programmes grapple with how best to respond to the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic on family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), the implementation and adaptation of evidence-based practices is crucial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMore than 7.3 million older adults in the United States have difficulty leaving their homes or are completely homebound, yet little data exist on the experiences of homebound older adults and their caregivers. We conducted 30 semi-structured qualitative interviews with homebound older adults and caregivers recruited through home-based medical care practices in Baltimore and San Francisco.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSex Reprod Health Matters
January 2021
Contraceptive self-care interventions are a promising approach to improving reproductive health. Reproductive empowerment, the capacity of individuals to achieve their reproductive goals, is recognised as a component of self-care. An improved understanding of the relationship between self-care and empowerment is needed to advance the design, implementation and scale-up of self-care interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Homebound older adults and their caregivers have not historically been engaged as advisors in patient-centered outcomes research. This study aimed to understand the attitudes of homebound older adults and their caregivers toward research and participation as research advisors.
Research Design And Methods: Descriptive thematic analysis of semistructured interviews conducted with 30 homebound older adults and caregivers recruited from home-based medical care practices.