News Review – 12 January 2018 – Individual Action for Change | Center for International Reproductive Health Training

Individual Action for Change

Two studies show the importance of reaching individuals with information and counseling. From the Guttmacher Institute: “Post-abortion contraception counseling has the potential to help non-users [of contraception] find methods that meet their preferences and to help women better use their current methods.” And the corollary, threats to informed consent mean “restricting comprehensive counseling and referrals for all pregnancy options [which] seriously jeopardizes women’s health and well-being.”

And individuals can effect change. Pathfinder International and K4Health highlight Marie Musifu a girl from DRC who is “fighting for young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights” by starting youth clubs to discuss family planning, an effort which has led the government to launch “the first national platform for including the youth leaders in decision-making about adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health.” A story from Girl’s Globe about the outgoing Dutch Youth Ambassador for SRHR Sanne Thijssen. “One argument you make could resonate with one person and shift everything.” She sees three barriers to getting young people involved in SRHR: “People in positions of power are afraid to let go of the reigns; Meaningful youth engagement needs investment; The added value of engaging young people is overlooked.” She insists, “Stay passionate and keep reaching out to other young advocates. Young people can shape the present!”

Anti-choice groups in the US are using the individual tactic as well, reaching out to abortion clinic workers to try to convince them to quit.

Policy Frameworks Are Needed

Many developing nations have rapidly increased their use of modern contraceptive strategies and have decreased their unmet needs for safe and effective contraceptives, according to a systematic analysis of the Family Planning Estimation Tool (FPET) published in The Lancet. Kenya was found to be one of the fastest progressing countries in this study in increasing mCPR and decreasing unmet need, and this country may “provide case studies for achieving success in other countries.” UNESCO released a report calling for a “comprehensive approach to sexuality education.” As Global Health Now notes, “Yes, we are bending the curve toward our goal of reaching 120 million more family planning users by 2020, but we still have a long way to go. Despite the recent wins, we are not on track to meet this goal.”

Family Planning advocacy is “the best way to fight maternal mortality” in Nigeria, which is undertaking a new three-year plan for family health. Again, mixed messages coming from the Kenyan press: An NGO wants the rollout of sex education stopped, while a church leader has become a Family Planning champion.

The abortion debate in Namibia reflects ambiguity about overturning Apartheid-era laws, throwing off colonial laws but still striving to represent the consensus in a deeply religious country. Abortion policy debates continue in Ireland, Poland, Malta, Brazil, India, Canada, and, of course, the US – restrictions on choice at the Federal level and the fight for reproductive rights in the states.

Contraception and Abortion Options

Self-managed abortion – use of the abortion pill by an individual with remote counseling and guidance – can “embody the principles of reproductive justice.” A study in Peru concluded that “women can safely and effectively self-induce abortion using misoprostol after receiving information from a healthcare provider.”

The possible withdrawal of Depo-Provera contraceptives, which don’t offer protection from HIV transmission, would nevertheless cause more lives lost in unwanted pregnancy and maternal mortality than HIV infections prevented. In South Africa, the use of Implanon NXT has been hampered by rumors of infertility and exaggerated side effects, with 60% of women asking for it to be removed after less than a year. CHANGE reports that expanding use of the female condom in Uganda and Swaziland can be difficult because “women are discouraged from obtaining condoms (male or female), and that for women, sex as a topic is still taboo.” “Birth Control Your Own Adventure” looks at the many side effects that current hormonal birth control. Methods can cause and asks for something better.

With the economic in crisis in Venezuela, a pill shortage has led to a rise in teenage pregnancy. A new condom brand has been introduced in Sri Lanka. DC-based start-up Cycle Technologies “offers effective, low cost methods of contraception works, can meet the needs of women all over the world can be used in a wide variety of contexts using a range of tools – from smartphones to beads – depending on the method and the need.”

Calls for Action

Six fights on reproductive rights that the media should be prepared to report on in 2018, Media Matters, 11 Jan 2018

5 Things Every Woman Needs To Know About Abortions, Women’s Health, 10 Jan 2018

Here Are 5 Ways You Can Combat Abortion Stigma, Hello Flo, 9 Jan 2018

5 Meaningful Ways to Fight for Reproductive Rights in 2018, The Mary Sue, 8 Jan 2018

Complete News Review References

Academic

Modern Contraceptive Use Increasing in Developing Nations, Endocrinology Advisor, 11 Jan 2018

Group B streptococcus septic arthritis of the hip following spontaneous abortion, BMJ, 11 Jan 2018

Unbiased Information on and Referral for All Pregnancy Options Are Essential to Informed Consent in Reproductive Health Care, Guttmacher, 10 Jan 2018

A harm-reduction model of abortion counseling about misoprostol use in Peru with telephone and in-person follow-up: A cohort study, PLOS One, 10 Jan 2018

Unpacking the differential impact of family planning policies in China: Analysis of parity progression ratios from retrospective birth history data, 1971–2005, Journal of Biosocial Science, 10 Jan 2018