Contraceptive stockouts in Western Kenya: a mixed-methods mystery client study.

Background: The prevalence of modern contraception use is higher in Kenya than in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The uptake has however slowed down in recent years, which, among other factors, has been attributed to challenges in the supply chain and increasing stockouts of family planning commodities. Research on the frequency of contraceptive stockouts and its consequences for women in Kenya is still limited and mainly based on facility audits.

Provider verbal disrespect in the provision of family planning in public-sector facilities in Western Kenya.

Public-sector healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries are a primary source of family planning but their disrespectful (i.e., demeaning or insulting) treatment of family planning clients may impede free contraceptive choice.

Frequency and impact of long wait times for family planning in public-sector healthcare facilities in Western Kenya.

Background: Long wait times for family planning services are a barrier to high quality care and client satisfaction. Existing literature examining family planning wait times has methodological limitations, as most studies use data collected during exit interviews, which are subject to recall, courtesy, and selection bias.

Objective: We sought to employ a mixed methods approach to capture the prevalence, length, causes, and impacts of wait times for family planning services in Western Kenya.

Contraceptive method denial as downward contraceptive coercion: A mixed-methods mystery client study in Western Kenya.

Objective: This study uses mixed methods to quantify the frequency of method denial in Western Kenya and describe how this barrier impacts contraceptive access.

Study Design: We estimate the frequency of method denial using data from mystery clients deployed to 57 randomly selected public-sector facilities located in Western Kenya. These quantitative data are triangulated with data from 8 focus group discussions, 19 key informant interviews, and 2 journey mapping workshops with contraception clients and providers.

Absenteeism among family planning providers: a mixed-methods study in western Kenya.

Public-sector healthcare providers are on the frontline of family planning service delivery in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya, yet research suggests public-sector providers are frequently absent. The current prevalence of absenteeism in Western Kenya, as well as the impact on family planning clients, is unknown. The objective of this paper is to quantify the prevalence of public-sector healthcare provider absenteeism in this region of Kenya, to describe the potential impact on family planning uptake and to source locally grounded solutions to provider absenteeism.

Informal payments for family planning: prevalence and perspectives of women, providers, and health sector key informants in western Kenya.

Informal payments are off-the-record financial transactions made by patients to their healthcare providers. Providers in low- and middle-income countries solicit informal payments from patients to purchase additional supplies, supplement wages, or for other reasons. Informal payments reduce equitable access to healthcare services and undermine efforts to ensure universal health coverage.