Implementation Research on DMPA-SC Self-Injection

In recent years, evidence from pilot projects has demonstrated that self-injection of DMPA-SC is safe, feasible, acceptable, leads to optimal method continuation rates and expands contraceptive accessibility to groups otherwise inconvenienced by services that require recourse to health care facilities and trained health care workers. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend that DMPA-SC self-injection is part of wider strategies to reduce unmet need, achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health and promote advance human rights to contraceptive information and services.

The WHO developed a global protocol that describes the strategic directions, objectives, research questions, implementation research methods and management considerations that can be adapted in order guide the successful, and evidence-based, expansion of self-injectable DMPA-SC programs in their health systems, respectively.