1. Feature - Women in developing countries now have access to new, simple, low-cost, relia... Page 1 of 2
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Feature
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
Photo by Georgetown University/IRH 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."
http://www.jhpiego.org/media/featarticles/ft20030506.htm 8/8/2009

2. Feature - Women in developing countries now have access to new, simple, low-cost, relia... Page 2 of 2
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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http://www.jhpiego.org/media/featarticles/ft20030506.htm 8/8/2009