AFRO-NETS> New WHO Publication on Family Planning

[Dr Brian Pazvakavambwa <pazvakavambwab@who.ch>]

New WHO Publication on Family Planning
--------------------------------------

[NOTE: PLEASE DIRECT ALL ENQUIRIES TO:
mailto:bookorders@who.ch
NOT TO ME!]

Improving Access to Quality Care in Family Planning: Medical Eligi-
bility Criteria for Contraceptive Use 

Second Edition

Advances in scientific knowledge, research and development in recent 
decades have resulted in an increasingly wider choice of new contra-
ceptive methods and improvements in the safety and effectiveness of 
existing methods. However, the full range of modern family planning 
methods still remains unavailable to at least 350 million couples 
worldwide, many of whom wish to space or prevent another pregnancy, 
despite their individual right to the benefits of scientific pro-
gress. 

To meet people's needs and close the existing large gap in quality 
services, reproductive health care providers, programmes and contra-
ceptive suppliers will need to expand rapidly over the next several 
years, and information will need to be disseminated about new contra-
ceptive developments, appropriateness of methods and introduction 
strategies. 

This document is one important step in a process for improving access 
to quality of care in family planning by reviewing the medical eligi-
bility criteria for selecting methods of contraception. It updates 
the first edition of Improving access to quality care in family plan-
ning: medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, published 
in 1996, and summarizes the main recommendations of a scientific 
Working Group meeting held at the World Health Organization, Geneva 
in March 2000. The Working Group brought together 32 participants 
from 17 countries, including representatives of several agencies and 
organizations. 

The document provides recommendations for appropriate medical eligi-
bility criteria based on the latest clinical and epidemiological data 
and is intended to be used by policy-makers, family planning pro-
gramme managers and the scientific community. It aims to provide 
guidance to national family planning/reproductive health programmes 
in the preparation of guidelines for service delivery of contracep-
tives. It should not be seen or used as the actual guidelines but 
rather as a reference. 

The document covers the following family planning methods: 
low-dose combined oral contraceptives (COCs), combined injectable 
contraceptives (CICs), progestogenonly pills (POPs), depot medroxy-
progesterone acetate (DMPA), norethisterone enanthate (NET -EN), Nor-
plant implants I and II (NOR), emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), 
copper intrauterine devices (Cu-IUDs), levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs 
(LNG-IUDs), copper-IUD for emergency contraception (E-IUD), barrier 
methods (BARR), fertility awareness-based methods (FAB), coitus in-
terruptus (CI), lactational amenorrhoea method (LAM), and female and 
male sterilization (STER).

World Health Organization 2001
118 pages 
WHO/RHR/00.02 
Swiss francs 20.- 
In developing countries: Sw.fr. 14.- 
Order no. 1931095 
Note to reviewers: Please indicate languages of publications, price, 
ISBN, and address of local sales agents. A copy of the review or no-
tice would be appreciated. MDI/01.28

WHO, Marketing & Dissemination 
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland 
Tel +41-22-7912476 
Fax +41-22-7914857 
mailto:bookorders@who.ch

Source: 
http://www.who.int/dsa/justpub/justpub.htm

--
Dr Brian Pazvakavambwa, MBChB, MPH 
Department of HIV/AIDS 
World Health Organization (Geneva) 
mailto:pazvakavambwab@who.int 
http://www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/ 
http://www.bpazva.8m.com 

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