Standard Days Method introduced to promote natural family planning
Most people think of hormonal and barrier-type methods of birth control when they think of contraception although there are also a number of natural family planning methods available to couples.
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Somehow, natural family planning methods are becoming more and more popular because they are easy to use and have no side effects.
One of the newest types of natural birth control is the Standard Days Method (SDM). The SDM is the first new natural method of family planning to be clinically tested and introduced on an international scale in over 20 years. To develop the method, researchers used data from the World Health Organisation to determine the probability of pregnancy based on the menstrual cycle. Counting the first day of menstruation as day one, they determined that days eight to 19 were the most likely fertile window.
Standard Days Method
The Standard Days Method (SDM) is a new method of natural family planning developed by the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University, USA.
SDM is said to be 95 per cent effective when used correctly. This means that only five out of 100 women practising this method correctly for one year could get pregnant. The effectiveness of any method of natural family planning varies from couple to couple; however, it is noteworthy that all natural family planning methods are significantly less effective for couples who do not follow the method closely.
To prevent pregnancy using SDM, couples avoid having sex during the fertile window or the women can keep track of their menstrual cycles and abstain from unprotected intercourse during their peak fertile times.
The Standard Days Method is a kind of calendar method. It, however, does not require the uses of a calender. It involves the use of special colour-coded string of beads called Cycle-Beads, which help women keep track of where they are in their menstrual cycles. There are 33 coloured beads and a moveable rubber ring on the string. The first bead is black with a white arrow. The next one is red. The next six are brown. The next 12 are white. And the last 13 are brown. Each one, except the black one, represents a day.
How to use the SDM
On the first day of the woman’s period, she must put the ring on the red bead. Each day, she has to move the ring from one bead to another — in the direction of the arrow. Brown beads stand for safe days. The women can have unprotected sexual intercourse when the ring is on one of them.
White beads stand for unsafe days so the woman must not have sexual intercourse unless she uses a barrier method of contraception, such as cervical cap, condom, diaphragm, or female condom.
Integrating SDM into Family Planning services
The Ghana Health Service (GHS), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other health development partners have been interested for some time in adding the SDM into family planning services in Ghana.
While natural family planning methods are noted as such in the GHS family planning service norms, the GHS currently does not systematically include SDM in its family planning programmes, and Cycle-Beads are not widely available in the country.
To expand family planning options, Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH), in collaboration with the GHS and Focus Region Health Project (FRHP), and with financial support from USAID-Ghana, embarked on a programme to integrate SDM into clinic and community family planning services in six districts: Ledzokuku-Krowor Metropolitan Area (LEKMA) and Ayawaso sub-metropolitan area in Greater Accra; Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam and Twifo-Heman-Lower Denkyira in the Central Region; Amenfi West and Juabeso in the Western Region.
According to Ms Janet Tornui of FRHP, the pilot integration activities began in February 2012 and were implemented at 60 sites. The pilot was designed to allow GHS staff, with support from FRHP staff, to gain experience and skills in offering the SDM as part of family planning services.
She said in late 2012, IRH engaged the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and began working with the principle investigator to plan an evaluation of the SDM introduction effort.
Recently, the three partners held a forum in Accra to determine the way forward towards expanding SDM into family planning services in other districts.
The evaluation began about nine months after health facilities began offering SDM services. KNUST evaluators conducted 86 clients and 80 provider interviews, and collected family planning user information in 86 facilities in a move to seek ideas and suggestions for expanded introduction from providers and district officials who had been involved in SDM introduction.
By Rosemary Ardayfio/Ghana
Writer’s Email: [email protected]