femiplan

Do you know that????

In Kenya, the unmet need for family planning is at 25% which creates a gap between the actual and desired family size. This means that couples are having more children than they had initially intended to due to lack of access to modern family planning methods. As high as 17% of births in Kenyan are reported as unwanted or unplanned while 25% are mistimed or wanted later.


Women are reported to generally want to have fewer children with an ideal family size of 3.9 children as compared to men who want an average of 4.3 children. Couples in rural areas have far more children (5.2) as compared to their urban counterparts (2.9 Children). This can largely be attributed to the fact that unmet family planning needs tend to be higher among rural women (27%) as compared to urban women (20%). Use of contraceptives is also generally lower in rural areas in comparison to urban areas with family planning use reported at 43% and 53% respectively.


In addition use of family planning tends to drastically increase with the level of education. 60% of women with a secondary education and above reported to be more likely to use family planning compared to women with a primary school education (40%) or those that do not have any formal schooling (14%).


49% of married women attested to the fact that they did not wish to have any more children while 27% alluded to the fact that they wanted to wait (space) for 2 years before they could have another child. Cultural norms have also placed the burden of family planning entirely on women although evidence indicates higher levels of family planning usage among women who have the approval and support of their husbands.


The need to have collective participation of both husband and wife in family planning issues is important as this would hugely increase the contraceptive prevalence rate in Kenya.

Why was the femiplan programm started

The need to get men involved in family planning and contraceptive related issues so as to reduce the levels of unmet family planning needs in Kenya is paramount. Their participation and approval would increase usage and compliance among women. The Femiplan range of products was introduced to offer a total family planning solution for couples – not just the woman. Communication and education though mass media and other mediums have been targeted to both men and women so as to involve men in the role of family planning.

And what is femiplan?

The Femiplan range of family planning products includes Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs), Progestin-Only Injectables (Depo Provera) and Male Condoms. The pills are packaged in a convenient pack of one cycle each, including seven extra iron pills to boost iron levels during menstruation. They can be purchased by clients at any private health facility or pharmacy without a prescription.

The injectables are packaged in an all-inclusive pack that contains the vial, syringe and alcohol swab; these can be purchased by health providers at any private health facility or pharmacy. The male condoms are strawberry scented and come in a pack of six; they are widely available at private health facilities, pharmacies, retail shops, supermarkets and bars.


FEMIPLAN Activities


The Femiplan range has been promoted through various channels since it was launched in 2000;

• Mass media campaigns on radio, TV, and print to:

1. promote the Femiplan brand and range of products
2. Dispel myths and misconceptions about modern family planning (FP) methods
3. Promote correct knowledge about and benefits of modern FP methods
4. Encourage men to get involved in and support their wives to take up modern FP methods

• Continuous Medical Education (CMEs) for pharmacy technicians and assistants to update their knowledge about FP methods, empowering them to pass correct information to users

• Distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials to women through pharmacies and private clinics that stock Femiplan products