WHO updates recommendations to guide family planning decisions

PATTAYA, 15^th November 2022 — These days
the World Wellbeing Corporation (WHO) launched essential updates to its landmark Loved ones Preparing Handbook, which
offers well being workers and policy makers with the most recent info on contraceptive solutions.

Drawing on lessons from new outbreaks, this new version information tangible measures for frontline health workers to defend obtain to loved ones organizing companies during emergencies, these types of as wider access to self-administered contraceptives and the use of
electronic technologies by companies. It also expands assistance for ladies and young persons at large risk of HIV.

“Family preparing encourages self-actualisation, empowerment, as perfectly as health and fitness and wellbeing, and reduces maternal and toddler fatalities as a result of the avoidance of unintended being pregnant and unsafe abortion,” reported Dr Pascale Allotey, WHO’s Director for Sexual and Reproductive Wellness and Rights.
“This updated Loved ones Preparing Handbook is a important source, serving to health staff support contraceptive customers about the planet in earning educated selections about the suitable contraceptive solutions for them.”

Expertise from the latest outbreaks demonstrates that household preparing services can be seriously compromised through emergencies. For the duration of the preliminary phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, somewhere around 70{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of international locations claimed disruptions to these critical solutions – intensifying risks of unintended pregnancies
and sexually transmitted bacterial infections.

To aid steer clear of such outcomes in the upcoming, the guide information practical measures that assist continuity of loved ones arranging providers through epidemics. These involve wider entry to self-administered contraceptives, and direct distribution of contraceptives
by pharmacies. Wellbeing practitioners can also choose methods to assistance ongoing contraceptive entry even exactly where actual physical mobility is decreased, this sort of as offering multi-thirty day period materials.

Self-administered contraceptives contain condoms, contraceptive products, some diaphragms, spermicides and most a short while ago, the solution of self-injection of DMPA (a progestin-only contraceptive) due to the fact this can now be securely administered just less than the pores and skin
fairly than into the muscle. Numerous women desire injectable contraceptives considering that they are personal and non-intrusive, demanding motion only at any time 2-3 months, with the solution of self-injection probably to further more raise uptake.

“The updated tips in this Handbook demonstrate that nearly any family scheduling strategy can be applied securely by all ladies, and that appropriately, all gals need to have entry to a range of alternatives that satisfy their exclusive needs and objectives in life,”
said 
Dr Mary Gaffield, Scientist and direct writer of the Handbook. “Family preparing solutions can be provided properly and affordably so that no matter in which they are living, partners and people are ready to pick from risk-free and helpful
household preparing methods.”

For the first time, the 2022 edition of the Handbook incorporates a committed chapter to tutorial family organizing solutions for gals and adolescents at significant chance of HIV, which include folks living in configurations where there is superior HIV prevalence, these who have various
sexual associates, or whose common associate is dwelling with HIV. 

Though only condoms guard in opposition to HIV and other sexually transmitted bacterial infections, all contraceptive solutions – with the sole exception of nonoxynol-9 spermicide – are now regarded as protected for gals and young persons at significant possibility of HIV, i.e. have not been observed to improve hazard of HIV
transmission or acquisition of an infection. For all those at significant risk of HIV, the handbook states that testing, counselling and very first-line medical care and referrals need to all be presented as component of household organizing solutions.

In addition, the Handbook incorporates the most recent WHO assistance on cervical most cancers and pre-cancer prevention, screening and remedy which can all be furnished through spouse and children setting up solutions management of sexually transmitted bacterial infections, and family preparing in postabortion treatment.

Now in its fourth version, WHO’s Spouse and children Setting up Handbook is the most greatly applied reference guideline on the subject globally, with more than a million copies distributed or downloaded to date. It is complemented by the healthcare eligibility standards software for
contraceptive use, also downloadable as a dedicated App.

The updated Handbook was unveiled at the Global Conference of Household Planning in Pattaya, Thailand. Assistance for its creation and dissemination has been furnished by way of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Faculty of General public Health and the United States Agency for Worldwide Enhancement (USAID). 

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At ICFP: Sarah Kessler, [email protected]