Emergency contraception in Mexico City: knowledge, attitudes, and practices among providers and potential clients after a 3-year introduction effort.
Emergency contraception (EC) has the potential to reduce unwanted pregnancy significantly, in Mexico as elsewhere. Recent years have seen tremendous growth in programs and research devoted to expanding access to emergency methods worldwide. In Mexico City, we conducted a pre-intervention/post-intervention research study of one way to introduce EC. Following a baseline survey of family planning providers and clients in 1997, we organized and implemented a three-year program of training for health care providers and a multi-faceted information campaign for the general public, including a national toll-free hotline and website. In 2000, we again surveyed family planning clinic providers and clients, using instruments similar to those employed in the baseline study. EC awareness increased significantly from 13% of clients to 32%, and support jumped from 73% to 83%. Providers at study clinics improved method recognition from 88% to 100%.
Heimburger
Angela
A
Population Council, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Escondida 110, 04000, Col Villa Coyoacan, Mexico DF, Mexico.
Acevedo-Garcia
Dolores
D
Schiavon
Raffaela
R
Langer
Ana
A
Mejia
Guillermina
G
Corona
Georgina
G
del Castillo
Eduardo
E
Ellertson
Charlotte
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital