Based on evidence and experience, countries worldwide are adding the option of DMPA-SC self-injection to their contraceptive method mix.
Self-injection has the potential to reduce access-related barriers for women, increase contraceptive continuation rates, and enhance women’s autonomy. There are strong data that women, including women in low-resource settings, can self-administer DMPA-SC safely and effectively, and that they like doing so.
The Access Collaborative provides data-driven technical assistance (TA), coordination, resources, and tools to ensure that women and girls have increased access to DMPA-SC and self-injection as part of an expanded range of contraceptive methods, delivered through informed choice programming.
In addition to general information and evidence on DMPA-SC, partners can access the support outlined in the menu below by submitting a request through the technical assistance request form, also linked below. Your request can be submitted by emailing the completed form to FPoptions@path.org.
The DMPA-SC Update is a periodic newsletter from the PATH-JSI DMPA-SC Access Collaborative highlighting global efforts to expand access to the self-injectable DMPA-SC in the context of a full range of family planning options. Click here to subscribe. For more information, please contact FPoptions@path.org.
The DMPA-SC Access Collaborative has produced the brief and program design guide linked below to support countries and partners that are planning and rolling out DMPA-SC self-injection as part of an expanded range of contraceptive methods delivered through informed choice programming.
The Recommendations for Contraceptive Self-Injection brief summarizes the latest key findings, insights and recommendations the AC has accumulated through six years of technical assistance to ministries and partners engaged in self-injection program introduction and scale-up. These practices should be universally considered and implemented to increase family planning program success.
The Contraceptive Self-Injection Program Design Guide is a comprehensive tool that outlines optimal program models for DMPA-SC self-injection. It was originally developed in 2020 based on the self-injection program rollout in Uganda, the first country in sub-saharan Africa to offer contraceptive self-injection outside of a research setting. The guide has been updated in 2022 to reflect subsequent learnings, evidence, and data from scale-up efforts. The program design guide:
Please contact FPoptions@path.org for further information or requests for assistance.
Institutional author(s): PATH, JSI
Publication date: November, 2022
Data has the power to convey the lived experiences of women and adolescents, highlighting the importance and potential of expanding choices to reduce unmet need for contraception. This monitoring, learning, and evaluation (MLE) toolkit features three tools for dynamic decision-making: A data visualization principles guide, an Excel dashboard how-to guide, and a data use and indicators guide. These are primers on how to create dynamic and visually compelling self-injection program data displays (e.g., dashboards, presentations) that facilitate comprehension and use of self-injection data for family planning program decision-making. While the MLE toolkit was developed with self-injection in mind, many of the principles could be applied to data visualization needs across family planning programs and methods. For more information about using the toolkit, visit Excelerate your self-injection program data: An Excel skill-building workshop series.
We want to hear from you! By completing this short survey, you can help us ensure the tools are meeting the needs of key stakeholders during new product introduction and scale-up. Please contact FPoptions@path.org with any questions or request for assistance.
Supportive supervision plays a critical role to ensure high-performing health workers have the appropriate knowledge, skills, and motivation in order to deliver quality family planning (FP) services and informed choice counseling. This package includes three supportive supervision tools that can be used by regional or district health teams when conducting supervision visits at health facilities that offer FP services:
Tools #1 and #2 can be used together or separately, depending on whether or not the supervision visits include follow-up with providers recently trained to counsel clients on DMPA-SC self-injection.
Tool #3 is intended for use in situations where in-person supervision is not possible; the supervision exercise can be conducted through phone or video. This tool includes guidance and instructions for supervisors who plan to conduct supervision remotely.
The tools are intended to serve as guides and can be adapted for specific settings as needed. For more information, contact FPoptions@path.org.
Institutional author(s): PATH, JSI
Publication date: July, 2021
The DMPA-SC Access Collaborative hosted this April 21, 2021 webinar highlighting lessons learned to date through four years of data-driven technical assistance and coordination to ensure that women have increased access to self-injection as a contraceptive option, delivered through informed choice programming. The discussion focused on key topics for the introduction and scale-up of self-injection—and self-care interventions more broadly—at the country level including:
This discussion was moderated by Monica Mutesa, Zambia Country Coordinator, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH. Speakers included:
For more information, please contact FPoptions@path.org.
Institutional author(s): PATH, JSI
Publication date: April, 2021
This was a hands-on skill-building session during the Making Self-Injection Count workshop in which participants worked with a sample data set in order to create data visualizations using Microsoft Excel. Two versions of the session were offered—a beginner session for participants with limited experience using Excel and data visualizations, and an advanced session for those with more experience. Participants needed a computer with Excel; the dataset and other materials were provided.
Objectives
By the end of the session, participants were able to:
Key takeaways
Presenters
Institutional author(s): PATH, JSI
Publication date: March, 2021
WHO’s global family planning handbook provides high-quality, up-to-date guidance for health-care professionals working in low- and middle-income countries.
Institutional author(s): World Health Organization (WHO)
Publication date: June, 2018
This resource aims to set a global standard for the measurement of three priority self-care interventions: self-injectable contraception, HIV self-testing, and self-managed abortion. The measurement tool comprises a set of priority indicators for each intervention. It was developed through a consensus-driven process led by the Self-Care Trailblazer Group’s evaluation learning working group, engaging global experts, including academics, implementers, donors, and intergovernmental organizations.
Institutional author(s): Self-Care Trailblazer Group
Publication date: March, 2023
This conceptual framework articulates how social and behavior change can support sexual and reproductive health (SRH) self-care initiatives and contribute to improved health outcomes. Developed by Breakthrough Action and the Self-Care Trailblazer Group, the framework is designed for use by policymakers and government representatives, donors, and self-care program implementers. The framework was also featured in a webinar held on September 28, 2022.
Institutional author(s): Self-Care Trailblazer Group, Breakthrough Action
Publication date: 2022