Medical Specialties Commons^™

Determinants Of Modern Contraceptive Use Among Sexually Active Men In Kenya, Rhoune Ochako, Marleen Temmerman, Mwende Mbondo, Ian Askew

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Research in Kenya has focussed on family planning from women’s perspectives, with the aim of helping reduce the burden of unintended pregnancies. As such, the determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active women are well documented. However, the perspectives of men should be considered not only as women’s partners, but also as individuals with distinct reproductive histories and desires of their own. This study seeks to understand the determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active men, by exploring factors that are correlated with modern contraceptive use.

Methods: The data source is the nationally representative 2014 Kenya Demographic …

Effect Of Puerperal Infections On Early Neonatal Mortality: A Secondary Analysis Of Six Demographic And Health Surveys, Saverio Bellizzi, Quique Bassat, Howard L. Sobel, Mohamed M. Ali, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Around 1.5 million annual neonatal deaths occur in the first week of life, and infections represent one of the major causes in developing countries. Neonatal sepsis is often strictly connected to infection of the maternal genital tract during labour.

Methods: The association between signs suggestive of puerperal infection and early neonatal mortality (life) was performed using Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data of six countries, conducted between 2010 and 2013. The population attributable fraction (PAF) was generated using the estimates on early neonatal mortality of a 1990-2013 systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.

Results: Signs of …

Opportunities And Challenges In Realizing Universal Access To Obstetric Ultrasound In Sub-Saharan Africa, Sikolia Wanyonyi, Charles Muriuki Mariara, Sudhir Vinayak, William Stones

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The potential benefits of obstetric ultrasound have yet to be fully realized in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), despite the region bearing the greatest burden of poor perinatal outcomes. We reviewed the literature for challenges and opportunities of universal access to obstetric ultrasound and explored what is needed to make such access an integral component of maternity care in order to address the massive burden of perinatal morbidity and mortality in SSA. Original peer-reviewed literature was searched in various electronic databases using a ‘realist’ approach. While the available data were inconclusive, they identify many opportunities for potential future research on the subject …

The Impact Of A Referral Card-Based Intervention On Intimate Partner Violence, Psychosocial Health, Help-Seeking And Safety Behaviour During Pregnancy And Postpartum: A Randomized Controlled Trial, An-Sofie Van Parys, Ellen Deschepper, Kristien Roelens, Marleen Temmerman, Hans Verstraelen

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: We aimed to investigate the impact of a referral-based intervention in a prospective cohort of women disclosing intimate partner violence (IPV) on the prevalence of violence, and associated outcomes psychosocial health, help-seeking and safety behaviour during and after pregnancy.

Methods: Women seeking antenatal care in eleven Belgian hospitals were consecutively invited from June 2010 to October 2012, to participate in a single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) and handed a questionnaire. Participants willing to be interviewed and reporting IPV victimisation were randomised. In the Intervention Group (IG) participants received a referral card with contact details of services providing assistance and …

“The Co-Authors Of Pregnancy”: Leveraging Men’S Sense Of Responsibility And Other Factors For Male Involvement In Antenatal Services In Kinshasa, Drc, Michelle M. Gill, John Ditekemena, Aimé Loando, Vicky Ilunga, Marleen Temmerman, Franck Fwamba

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Despite efforts to improve male involvement (MI), few male partners typically attend antenatal care (ANC). MI in ANC and interventions to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission have been demonstrated to be beneficial for the HIV-positive mother and her child. This study aimed to explore factors influencing partner attendance and highlight interventions with potential to improve MI within a Congolese context.

Methods: This was an exploratory, qualitative study conducted in two urban and two semi-urban catchment areas of Kinshasa, DRC in June–September 2016. Two women-only and two men-only focus group discussions (FGDs) were held; participants were recruited from ANC clinics and …

Antenatal Corticosteroids For Women At Risk Of Imminent Preterm Birth In Low-Resource Countries: The Case For Equipoise And The Need For Efficacy Trials, Joshua P. Vogel, Olufemi T. Oladapo, Cynthia Pileggi-Castro, Ebunoluwa A. Adejuyigbe, Fernando Althabe, Shabina Ariff, Adejumoke Idowu Ayede, Abdullah H. Baqui, Anthony Costello, Davy M. Chikamata, Caroline Crowther, Bukola Fawole, Luz Gibbons, Alan H. Jobe, Monica Lulu Kapasa, John Kinuthia, Alka Kriplani, Oluwafemi Kuti, James Neilson, Janna Patterson, Gilda Piaggio, Rahat Qureshi, Zahida Qureshi, Mari Jeeva Sankar, Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, Marleen Temmerman, Khalid Yunis, Rajiv Bahl, A. Metin Gülmezoglu

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The scientific basis for antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) for women at risk of preterm birth has rapidly changed in recent years. Two landmark trials—the Antenatal Corticosteroid Trial and the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids Trial—have challenged the long-held assumptions on the comparative health benefits and harms regarding the use of ACS for preterm birth across all levels of care and contexts, including resource-limited settings. Researchers, clinicians, programme managers, policymakers and donors working in low-income and middle-income countries now face challenging questions of whether, where and how ACS can be used to optimise outcomes for both women and preterm newborns.

In this article, …

Effects Of Injectable Progestogen Contraception Versus The Copper Intrauterine Device On Hiv Acquisition: Sub-Study Of A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial, G. Justus Hofmeyr, Mandisa Singata-Madliki, Theresa A. Lawrie, Eduardo Bergel, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Evidence from observational studies suggests an increased risk of HIV acquisition among women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) contraception.

Methods: Within the context of a South African programme to increase women's access to the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD), we conducted a pragmatic, open-label, parallel-arm, randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the IUD versus injectable progestogen contraception (IPC) at two South African hospitals. The primary outcome was pregnancy; secondary outcomes included HIV acquisition. Consenting women attending termination of pregnancy services were randomised after pregnancy termination between July 2009 and November 2012. Condoms were promoted for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. …

Use Of Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid, Pap Smear, Or High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Testing In Women Living With Hiv/Aids For Posttreatment Cervical Cancer Screening Same Tests, Different Priorities, Elkanah Omenge, Tao Liu, Astrid Christoffersen-Deb, Peter Itsura, John Oguda, Sierra Washington, David Chumba, Latha Pisharodi, Susan Cu-Uvin, Anne F. Rositch

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objectives: Few studies have addressed optimal follow-up for HIV-infected women after cervical treatment. This study aimed to compare performance of three available tests to detect posttreatment cervical disease in HIV-infected women in Kenya.

Design: This is a prospective cohort study.

Methods: At least 6 months following cryotherapy, 517 HIV-infected women were evaluated concurrently with visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), papanicolaou (Pap) smear, and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing. Women positive by any test (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion for Pap) were scheduled for colposcopy and biopsy. Among 248 with histological confirmation [and 174 assumed to be truly negative for …

E-Learning For Research Capacity Strengthening In Sexual And Reproductive Health: The Experience Of The Geneva Foundation For Medical Education And Research And The Department Of Reproductive Health And Research, World Health Organization, Karim Abawi, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Igor Toskin, Mario Philip Festin, Lynn Gertiser, Raqibat Idris, Hanan Hamamy, Moazzam Ali, Ameyo Masakhwe Bonventure, Marleen Temmerman, Aldo Campana

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Abstract: Technological advancement has resulted in the increasing use of e-learning and online education, initially in high-income countries and increasingly in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: In 2010, the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and partner institutions, developed an online postgraduate course “From Research to Practice: Training Course in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research”. This course takes advantage of the advancing Internet technology to provide training opportunities to health professionals mostly from low- and middle-income countries whose access to quality education is constrained by time, financial resources, or both.

Case presentation: …

Criteria-Based Audit To Improve Quality Of Care Of Foetal Distress: Standardising Obstetric Care At A National Referral Hospital In A Low Resource Setting, Tanzania, Andrew H. Mgaya, Helena Litorp, Hussein L. Kidanto, Lennarth Nyström, Birgitta Essén

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background, In Tanzania, substandard intrapartum management of foetal distress contributes to a third of perinatal deaths, and the majority are term deliveries. We conducted a criteria-based audit with feedback to determine whether standards of diagnosis and management of foetal distress would be improved in a low-resource setting.

Methods, During 2013–2015, a criteria-based audit was performed at the national referral hospital in Dar es Salaam. Case files of deliveries with a diagnosis of foetal distress were identified and audited. Two registered nurses under supervision of a nurse midwife, a specialist obstetrician and a consultant obstetrician, reviewed the case files. Criteria for …

Addressing The Intersection Between Alcohol Consumption And Antiretroviral Treatment: Needs Assessment And Design Of Interventions For Primary Healthcare Workers, The Western Cape, South Africa, M. Schneider, M. Chersich, Marleen Temmerman, C. D. Parry

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: At the points where an infectious disease and risk factors for poor health intersect, while health problems may be compounded, there is also an opportunity to provide health services. Where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and alcohol consumption intersect include infection with HIV, onward transmission of HIV, impact on HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) disease progression, and premature death. The levels of knowledge and attitudes relating to the health and treatment outcomes of HIV and AIDS and the concurrent consumption of alcohol need to be determined. This study aimed to ascertain the knowledge, attitudes and practices of primary …

Lessons Learnt From The Cerca Project, A Multicomponent Intervention To Promote Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health In Three Latin America Countries: A Qualitative Post-Hoc Evaluation., Olena Ivanova, Kathya Cordova Pozo, Zoyla Esmeralda Segura, Bernardo Vega, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Michelle J. Hindin, Marleen Temmerman, Peter Decat, Sara De Meyer, Kristien Michielsen

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The Community-Embedded Reproductive Health Care for Adolescents (CERCA) Project was implemented in Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua (2011–2014) to test the effectiveness of interventions preventing teenage pregnancies. As the outcome evaluation showed limited impact, a post-hoc process evaluation was carried out to determine if and how CERCA’s design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation affected the results. We did a document analysis and conducted 18 in-depth interviews and 21 focus group discussions with stakeholders and beneficiaries. Transcripts were analyzed using directed content analysis.

Data showed that CERCA sensitized stakeholders and encouraged the discussion on this sensitive issue. In terms of design, a strong …

Progestogen-Only Contraceptive Use Among Breastfeeding Women: A Systematic Review., Sharon J. Phillips, Naomi K. Tepper, Nathalie Kapp, Kavita Nanda, Marleen Temmerman, Kathryn M. Curtis

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Postpartum women need effective contraception. Concerns have been raised that use of progestogen-only contraceptives (POCs) may affect breastfeeding performance and infant health outcomes.

Objectives: We investigated the clinical outcomes of breastfeeding duration, initiation of supplemental feeding and weaning, as well as infant outcomes including infant growth, health and development among breastfeeding women using POCs compared with breastfeeding women not using POCs.

Search strategy: We searched the PubMed database for all articles published from database inception through December 2014.

Selection criteria: We included primary research studies of breastfeeding women of any age or parity who received POCs, including progestogen-only pills, …

Global Burden Of Maternal And Congenital Syphilis In 2008 And 2012: A Health Systems Modelling Study, N. Saman Wijesooriya, Roger W. Rochat, Mary L. Kamb, Prasad Turlapati, Marleen Temmerman, Nathalie Broutet, Lori M. Newman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: In 2007, WHO launched a global initiative for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis (congenital syphilis). An important aspect of the initiative is strengthening surveillance to monitor progress towards elimination. In 2008, using a health systems model with country data inputs, WHO estimated that 1·4 million maternal syphilis infections caused 520 000 adverse pregnancy outcomes. To assess progress, we updated the 2008 estimates and estimated the 2012 global prevalence and cases of maternal and congenital syphilis.

Methods: We used a health systems model approved by the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. WHO and UN databases provided inputs on …

Participatory Approaches Involving Community And Healthcare Providers In Family Planning/Contraceptive Information And Service Provision: A Scoping Review., Petrus S. Steyn, Joanna Paula, Peter Gichangi, Jennifer A. Smit, Theresa Nkole, James Kiarie, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

As efforts to address unmet need for family planning and contraception (FP/C) accelerate, voluntary use, informed choice and quality must remain at the fore. Active involvement of affected populations has been recognized as one of the key principles in ensuring human rights in the provision of FP/C and in improving quality of care. However, community participation continues to be inadequately addressed in large-scale FP/C programmes. Community and healthcare providers’ unequal relationship can be a barrier to successful participation. This scoping review identifies participatory approaches involving both community and healthcare providers for FP/C services and analyzes relevant evidence. The detailed analysis …

Caesarean Section Surgical Techniques: All Equally Safe, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Since 1985, a caesarean section rate of 10–15% has been deemed optimum by the international health-care community.1 When caesarean section rates rise towards 10% across a population, maternal and newborn deaths decrease; when they are higher than 15%, there is no evidence of reduced mortality.1 Complications of caesarean sections can be substantial and sometimes permanent for both mothers and babies, and can result in disability or death, especially in settings with inadequate facilities or capacity to undertake safe surgery and treat surgical complications.

Factors Associated With Uptake Of Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid (Via) For Cervical Cancer Screening In Western Kenya, Elkanah Omenge, Juddy Wachira, Fredrick Chite Asirwa, Naftali Busakhala, Violet Naanyu, Job Kisuya, Grieven Otieno, Alfred Keter, Ann Mwangi, Thomas Inui

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Purpose: Cervical cancer screening has been successful in reducing the rates of cervical cancer in developed countries, but this disease remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to understand factors associated with limited uptake of screening services in our cervical cancer-screening program in Western Kenya.

Participants and Methods: Using items from a previously validated cancer awareness questionnaire repurposed for use in cervical cancer and culturally adapted for use in Kenya, we interviewed 2,505 women aged 18–55 years receiving care in gynecology clinics or seeking other services in 4 health facilities in Western Kenya …

Modern Contraceptive Use Among Migrant And Non-Migrant Women In Kenya, Rhoune Ochako, Ian Askew, Jerry Okal, John Oucho, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Manifest socio-economic differences are a trigger for internal migration in many sub-Saharan settings including Kenya. An interplay of the social, political and economic factors often lead to internal migration. Internal migration potentially has significant consequences on an individual’s economic growth and on access to health services, however, there has been little research on these dynamics. In Kenya, where regional differentials in population growth and poverty reduction continue to be priorities in the post MDG development agenda, understanding the relationships between contraceptive use and internal migration is highly relevant.

Methods: Using data from the 2008–09 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey …

The Global Strategy For Women's, Children's And Adolescents' Health (2016-2030): A Roadmap Based On Evidence And Country Experience., Shyama Kuruvilla, Flavia Bustreo, Taona Kuo, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The Global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (2016–2030) provides a roadmap for ending preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents by 2030 and helping them achieve their potential for and rights to health and well-being in all settings.1 The global strategy has three objectives: survive (end preventable deaths); thrive (ensure health and well-being); and transform (expand enabling environments). These objectives are aligned with 17 targets within nine of the sustainable development goals (SDGs),2 including SDG 3 on health and other SDGs related to the political, social, economic and environmental determinants of health and sustainable development.

Like the SDGs, …

Intimate Partner Violence In Early Adolescence: The Role Of Gender, Socioeconomic Factors And The School, A. J. Mason-Jones, P De Koker, S. M. Eggers, Marleen Temmerman, E. Leye, P. J De Vries, H De Vries

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) among adolescents is common worldwide, but our understanding of perpetration, gender differences and the role of social-ecological factors remains limited.

Objectives: To explore the prevalence of physical and sexual IPV perpetration and victimisation by gender, and associated risk and protective factors.

Methods: Young adolescents (N=2 839) from 41 randomly selected public high schools in the Western Cape region of South Africa (SA), participating in the PREPARE study, completed a self-administered questionnaire.

Results: The participants’ mean age was 13.65 years (standard deviation 1.01), with 19.1% (541/2 839) reporting being victims/survivors of IPV and 13.0% (370/2 839) …

Engaging With Community-Based Public And Private Mid-Level Providers For Promoting The Use Of Modern Contraceptive Methods In Rural Pakistan: Results From Two Innovative Birth Spacing Interventions, Syed Khurram Azmat, Waqas Hameed, Hasan Bin Hamza, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Ishaque, Ghazunfer Abbas, Omar Farooq Khan, Jamshaid Asghar, Erik Munroe, Safdar Ali, Wajahat Hussain, Sajid Ali, Aftab Ahmed, Moazzam Ali, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Family planning (FP) interventions aimed at reducing population growth have negligible during the last two decades in Pakistan. Innovative FP interventions that help reduce the growing population burden are the need of the hour. Marie Stopes Society - Pakistan implemented an operational research project - ‘Evidence for Innovating to Save Lives’, to explore effective and viable intervention models that can promote healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy in rural and under-served communities of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan.

Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental (pre - and post-intervention with control arm) study to assess the effectiveness of …

Evidence And Knowledge Gaps On The Disease Burden In Sexual And Gender Minorities: A Review Of Systematic Reviews, Karel Blondeel, Lale Say, Doris Chou, Igor Toskin, Rajat Khosla, Elisa Scolaro, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) include individuals with a wide range of sexual orientations, physical characteristics, and gender identities and expressions. Data suggest that people in this group face a significant and poorly understood set of additional health risks and bear a higher burden of some diseases compared to the general population. A large amount of data is available on HIV/AIDS, but far less on other health problems. In this review we aimed to synthesize the knowledge on the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions and violence experienced by SGM, based on available systematic reviews. We conducted …

Endometrial Tuberculosis Compounding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome In A Subfertile Woman: A Case Report, Charles Mariara, Angela Koech, P. Waweru, Alfred Murage

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Asymptomatic female genital tuberculosis can impair tubal and endometrial function and later present as subfertility. A majority of the patients with genital tuberculosis in endemic regions present with subfertility and the delay in presentation, coupled with the potential the disease has in mimicking other gynecological conditions, renders it elusive. In addition to the challenge of diagnosing genital tuberculosis, fertility outcomes after treatment are not impressive. This is particularly so in the background of another confounding subfertility factor to which interventional efforts may initially be directed, at the expense of undiagnosed genital tuberculosis. We therefore present a case of subfertility …

Who Statement On Caesarean Section Rates, A. P. Betran, M. R. Torloni, J. J. Zhang, A. M. Gulmezoglu, Marleen Temmerman, Who Working Group On Caesarean Section

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

In 1985 when a group of experts convened by the World Health Organization in Fortaleza, Brazil, met to discuss the appropriate technology for birth, they echoed what at that moment was considered an unjustified and remarkable increase of caesarean section (CS) rates worldwide.1 Based on the evidence available at that time, the experts in Fortaleza concluded: ‘there is no justification for any region to have a caesarean section rate higher than 10–15%’.1 Over the years, this quote has become ubiquitous in scientific literature, being interpreted as the ideal CS rate. Although this reference range was intended for ‘populations’, which are …

Evidence And Evidence Gaps In Adolescent Health, George Patton, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The momentum to bring adolescents and young adults to center stage in global health and international development is palpable. Adolescents are increasingly seen as a crucial group for the success of the newly adopted Agenda for Sustainable Development [1]. Sitting within the Agenda for Sustainable Development framework, the 2030 Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health has extended the Every Woman, Every Child agenda to adolescence [2]. The strategy articulates the need for adolescent responsive health systems as well as social determinants, a focus that extends to legal and policy environments [3]. Countries seeking to adopt this more holistic …

Moving Towards The Goals Of Fp2020 — Classifying Contraceptives, Mario Philip R. Festin, James Kiarie, Julie Solo, Jeffrey Spieler, Shawn Malarcher, Paul F.A. Van Look, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

With the renewed focus on family planning, a clear and transparent understanding is needed for the consistent classification of contraceptives, especially in the commonly used modern/traditional system. The World Health Organization Department of Reproductive Health and Research and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) therefore convened a technical consultation in January 2015 to address issues related to classifying contraceptives. The consultation defined modern contraceptive methods as having a sound basis in reproductive biology, a precise protocol for correct use and evidence of efficacy under various conditions based on appropriately designed studies. Methods in country programs like Fertility Awareness …

Eregistries: Electronic Registries For Maternal And Child Health, J. Frederik Frøen, Sonja L. Myhre, Michael J. Frost, Doris Chou, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: The Global Roadmap for Health Measurement and Accountability sees integrated systems for health information as key to obtaining seamless, sustainable, and secure information exchanges at all levels of health systems. The Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health aims to achieve a continuum of quality of care with effective coverage of interventions. The WHO and World Bank recommend that countries focus on intervention coverage to monitor programs and progress for universal health coverage. Electronic health registries - eRegistries - represent integrated systems that secure a triple return on investments: First, effective single data collection for health workers to …

A Global Reference For Caesarean Section Rates (C‐Model): A Multicountry Cross‐Sectional Study, J. P. Souza, A. P. Betran, A. Dumont, B De Mucio, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objective: To generate a global reference for caesarean section (CS) rates at health facilities. Design Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Health facilities from 43 countries. Population/Sample Thirty eight thousand three hundred and twenty-four women giving birth from 22 countries for model building and 10 045 875 women giving birth from 43 countries for model testing.

Methods: We hypothesised that mathematical models could determine the relationship between clinical-obstetric characteristics and CS. These models generated probabilities of CS that could be compared with the observed CS rates. We devised a three-step approach to generate the global benchmark of CS rates at health facilities: …

Effects Of The Copper Intrauterine Device Versus Injectable Progestin Contraception On Pregnancy Rates And Method Discontinuation Among Women Attending Termination Of Pregnancy Services In South Africa: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial, G. Justus Hofmeyr, Mandisa Singata-Madliki, Theresa A. Lawrie, Eduardo Bergel, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: The copper intrauterine device (IUD) is under-utilised in South Africa, where injectable progestin contraception (IPC) dominates contraception usage. There is a lack of robust comparative data on these contraceptive options to inform policy, programs, clinical counseling, and women’s choices.

Methods: Within the context of a South African program to increase women’s access to the IUD, we conducted a pragmatic, open-label, parallel-arm, randomised controlled trial of the IUD versus IPC at two South African hospitals. The target sample size was 7,000 women and the randomisation ratio was 1:1. The random sequence was computer-generated and group allocation was concealed in sealed, …

Contraceptive Method Choice Among Women In Slum And Non-Slum Communities In Nairobi, Kenya, Rhoune Ochako, Chimaraoke Izugbara, Jerry Okal, Ian Askew, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Understanding women’s contraceptive method choices is key to enhancing family planning services provision and programming. Currently however, very little research has addressed inter and intra-regional disparities in women’s contraceptive method choice. Using data from slum and non-slum contexts in Nairobi, Kenya, the current study investigates the prevalence of and factors associated with contraceptive method choice among women.

Methods: Data were from a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted among a random sample of 1,873 women (aged 15–49 years) in two non-slum and two slum settlement areas in Nairobi, Kenya. The study locations were purposively sampled by virtue of being part of …