Solutions Panorama

Mobile Phone
Counseling to Prevent
Unintended Pregnancies
Featuring:
Marie Stopes International
Where:
Bangladesh
DESCRIPTION
Provision of post-abortion family planning is an effective way to reduce subsequent
unwanted pregnancy and abortion. In Bangladesh, short-term methods of contraception
are the most widely used, though they are often discontinued. To encourage continuation
of contraception use and reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy, Marie Stopes
International is utilizing the power of mobile technology.
Following an abortion, automated voice messages are sent to women’s mobile phones
over a three-month period offering free and confidential contraceptive counseling. Followup
calls from operators — who are trained paramedics — are made until clients receive
a post-abortion family planning method or opt out of the service. For women who have
chosen to receive a long-acting reversible contraception, calls from operators focus on
continuation of the method.
Impacts include
increased
knowledge
about the benefits
of post-abortion
family planning and
a decrease in
the number
of unsafe
abortions.
GOALS
The direct impact of the project will be greater numbers of women using post-abortion
family planning. Indirect impacts will include increased knowledge about the benefits of
post-abortion family planning and a decrease in the number of unsafe abortions and related
complications. The evidence generated from the intervention may be used to scale up
projects throughout Bangladesh and replicate it in other developing countries.
LEARN MORE
Marie Stopes International and Family Planning;
mariestopes.org
Submitted by Marie Stopes International
WOMEN DELIVER 2016 CONFERENCE: SOLUTIONS PANORAMA 32