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The ACQUIRE Project: Access, Quality and Use in Reproductive Health

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Long-Acting and Permanent Methods

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What's New?

The ACQUIRE Project will be sharing its expertise at the following events.
We invite you to join us.

ACQUIRE Publishes Increasing Awareness and Use of Long-Acting and Permanent Contraceptive Methods in Guinea: Case Study of a Pilot IUD Intervention

In 2004, the ACQUIRE Project in Guinea, in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Health (MOH), implemented a three-phase project to increase access to and awareness of long-acting and permanent methods of family planning (LAPMs) particularly the intrauterine device (IUD), and to increase the MOH’s capacity to provide these services.

This case study illustrates the effectiveness of a synergistic “supply and demand” strategy that includes the engagement of religious and district MOH officials to increase awareness and knowledge of long-acting family planning methods in a low-resource setting in West Africa. This communications campaign was implemented with minimal monetary investment, in a context with clinical supply challenges, little local marketing capacity, a limited range of media, and a relatively conservative religious culture. Despite these challenges, the campaign succeeded in reaching the intended audience with relevant information that translated into a considerable number of women seeking IUD services and making an informed choice to use the IUD within a period of a few months time. Read more>>> (PDF, 1.6MB)

IUD Use and Discontinuation in Bangladesh

IUD discontinuation rates for the IUD are lower than for other modern methods at 35.4% (BDHS, 2004), but still higher than global rates. The majority of Bangladeshi IUD users (63.7%) indicate side effects and health concerns as the main reasons for discontinuing use of the IUD (NIPORT, Mitra and Associates, and ORC Macro, 2005). To better understand client perspectives towards IUD discontinuation, ACQUIRE conducted a study consisting of close-ended interviews with IUD acceptors, in-depth interviews with IUD discontinuers and provider interviews.

The study of 330 acceptors in six predominantly rural districts found a 12-month discontinuation of 47.3%, which is higher than the rate from the latest BDHS. Findings further revealed that women experienced side effects differently. Many side effects had a physiological basis (e.g. extra menstrual flow), but community, societal, religious and spousal factors also played a role that caused women to see physiological changes as “problems.” Women with bleeding problems discontinued quickly. Prolonged and increased menstruation proved a fundamental problem for IUD users and their spouses because menstruation is seen as taboo. The health sector did not appear to strongly influence continuation or discontinuation, except that those reporting receiving more information (such as when to return for a check up) were more likely to remove the IUD than those who reported not getting this information. Recommendations pointed to the need for more community interventions, greater education on menstrual issues and routine prophylaxis for bleeding.
Read more>>> (PDF, 706KB)

Fistula Survivors Share Their Stories
The ACQUIRE Project announces the release of a collection of videos of Ugandan fistula survivors, Learn From My Story: Women Confront Fistula in Rural Uganda. Produced in partnership with the Center for Digital Storytelling and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kitovu, Uganda these moving stories were captured at a workshop for women with fistula, where they recounted the hardships they endured and as well as their search for safety, acceptance, and dignity.
The stories can be viewed at http://www.engenderhealth.org/our-work/maternal/digital-stories-uganda-fistula.php.

News Archive

What is the ACQUIRE Project?

The ACQUIRE Project is a five-year global cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) that works to advance and support the use of voluntary reproductive health and family planning services in health care facilities around the world.