Community Based Distribution of Injectable Contraceptives in Tigray, Ethiopia (CBDDMPA)

University of California (UC), Berkeley

Status: Completed

Conditions: Task Shifting; Family Planning; Contraception; DMPA; Community Based Distribution

Treatments: Other: Community Based administration of DMPA

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01288274

Bixby 001

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that with appropriate training, the provision of injectable contraceptives by community based reproductive health agents (CBRHAs) does not significantly differ from low-level clinic-based providers, or health extension workers (HEWs).

Full description

The overall goal of this project was to increase contraceptive prevalence and reduce the current high unmet need for family planning in rural areas of Ethiopia. In addition, the project was intended to provide evidence to policy makers to expand community based distribution (CBD) of the injectible contraceptive, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), in both Tigray and other regions of Ethiopia where community based reproductive health agents (CBRHAs) or other community health workers (CHWs) are present.

Following from that, the specific aims of this project were to:

• Provide evidence that CBRHAs can safely and effectively distribute and facilitate supply of DMPA to rural women
• Demonstrate that CBRHAs can deliver DMPA with the same safety, effectiveness, and acceptability outcomes as HEWs
• Increase access to DMPA by using CBRHAs

Enrollment: 1,062 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All adult women of reproductive age who approached a provider for a contraceptive method and wished to use DMPA were recruited to participate in the study
• Medically eligible to use injectable contraceptives

Exclusion criteria

• Health problems preventing or counter-indications for use of hormonal contraceptives
• Suspicion of pregancy
• FHI validated check list of eligibility use injectable contraceptives
• Minors age <18 years old

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,062 participants in 2 patient groups

Injection by Health Extension Worker

Active Comparator group

Description:

Women who receive injectable contraceptive from clinic based health extension workers (HEWs) during the study period

Treatment:

Other: Community Based administration of DMPA

Injection by Community Health Worker

Active Comparator group

Description:

Women who receive injectable contraceptive through community based distributors from community based reproductive health agents (CBRHAs) during the study period

Treatment:

Other: Community Based administration of DMPA