“Are family planning methods safe?” wondered Mutombo, a community health worker at the Kawama Village health center, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Katanga Province. “Don’t they contain a poison?” he added, directing his question to Isaac Chishesa, a community mobilization specialist with USAID’s Democratic Republic of Congo-Integrated Health Project (DRC-IHP). Tough question! One Isaac [...]
Tag archives for Family planning
USAID Epidemiologist Q & A on Hormonal Contraception and HIV
This post was originally featured on the International Conference on Family Planning blog. In October, The Lancet Infectious Diseases published a study by Renee Heffron and colleagues suggesting that HIV-negative women using hormonal contraception (HC) might be at increased risk for HIV infection. The study also suggested that HIV-positive women using HC might be at increased [...]
50 Years of Partnership with Kenya – Part 3 of 4
USAID’s health and population program is a top priority for USAID’s mission in Kenya. USAID works with partners in Kenya to bring health workers directly to the communities. These health workers provide information and care about HIV/AIDS and malaria programs, as well as work with community religious leaders to discuss family planning. USAID supports HIV/AIDS [...]
World Population Day: Why seven billion matters
By Scott Radloff, Director of the Office of Population and Reproductive Health This October 31st the UN has projected that the world population will reach 7 billion. In my lifetime, the world population has passed the 3, 4, 5, and 6 billion milestones. During that time the world has become much more interconnected and great [...]
The Other Half of the Family Planning Equation
Women Shouldn’t Have to Be Sneaky to Get the Family Planning They Want
By Daniel Cothran, MPH, AIDSTAR-One Program Officer. AIDSTAR-One is managed by USAID’s Office of HIV/AIDS, and provides rapid technical assistance to USAID and U.S. Government country teams to build effective, well-managed, and sustainable HIV and AIDS programs and promotes new leadership in the global campaign against HIV. Yes, I said it. But it’s not my [...]
Integrating Family Planning, HIV, and MNCH Services in Ethiopia and Kenya
By Ed Scholl, AIDSTAR-One Project Director, AIDSTAR-One is funded by USAID’s Office of HIV/AIDS, and provides rapid technical assistance to USAID and U.S. Government country teams to build effective, well-managed, and sustainable HIV and AIDS programs and promotes new leadership in the global campaign against HIV. Alice arrives at a health center in Western Province, [...]
U.S. Provides Equipment To Female Health Workers in Pakistan
More than 1,500 Lady Health Workers who work in areas in the areas of Punjab and Sindh provinces in Pakistan will receive kits of basic equipment to help them as they offer vital health care services to families in their communities. This donation is part of the United States’ continuing support for Pakistan’s flood relief [...]
The Ability to Plan Your Family Is a Game Changer
By: Ryan Cherlin Having seven children would be a challenge for any woman. In a developing nation like Mali, where the average number of children per woman is 6.6, calling it a challenge may be an understatement. Because they fall pregnant at an early age, young mothers don’t have the opportunity to finish their education, [...]
Digital Birth Control On Your iPhone
By: Ryan Cherlin Just when you thought there was an application for everything, now you can download birth control to your smart phones. The ability to plan or prevent pregnancy is something most couples in developed nations take for granted. In poor countries where health systems are often weak and individuals can’t afford to see [...]
