The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68746

Elizabeth Butrick, MSW, MPH¹, Nicole Monastersky, MPH², Graciella Funes-Cote, MPH², Luis Botello, MS³, and Iliana Moreno³. (1) Institute for Global Health (UCSF), 74 New Montgomery, Suite 508, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-597-8200, ebutrick@psg.ucsf.edu, (2) UCLA, 3442 Jasmine Ave #9, Los Angeles, CA 90034, (3) Evaluation/Development, MEXFAM, Juarez 208, Colonia Tlalpan, Mexico, 14000, Mexico

Purpose: This study was an internal investigation that sought to evaluate the role of family planning within the clinics of the Mexican Family Planning Association (MEXFAM). MEXFAM is a mature family planning association in a country where the government has integrated family planning into its services for over ten years. Since then MEXFAM has broadened its scope and its clinics have become family health clinics that serve as sustainability elements for the association. Methods: Data was gathered from client and staff interviews in 11 of MEXFAM´s 21 clinics. Three types of interviews were conducted. Brief, rapid surveys of women of childbearing age were conducted to determine whether they are family planning users and their source of supplies. Second, women identified as users were interviewed in greater depth about their reasons for choosing these sources and their satisfaction with the quality of care. Finally providers were interviewed about their attitudes and practices. Results: Although MEXFAM clinics have substantial numbers of women who are family planning users, it has a smaller than expected share of users that obtain their supply from them. Several possible reasons for this include the fact that clinic staff fail to consistently promote family planning methods, lack of continuous staff training, provider biases, and the fact that government offers the services for free. Recommendations: Several recommendations are given for strengthening the family planning program including training of medical and non-medical staff, institutional incentives for family planning promotion, and simple promotional techniques to raise client awareness of services.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to:
• Identify factors that influence contraceptive supply choice.
• Identify factors to promote family planning within a family health clinic.
• Identify institutional and environmental factors that affect the family planning program in a family health clinic.
• Identify methods that can be used to assess where clients obtain their family planning methods and why.

Keywords: International Family Planning, Evaluation

Related Web page: www.mexfam.org.mx

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: MEXFAM - the Mexican Family Planning Association This study was an internal evaluation of family planning in their clinics
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.