Integration of Family Planning Referral Messages into the Expanded Program on Immunization Services

Background. An opportunity for personal contact with women to provide family planning referral message is when they go to health facility for the immunization of their children. Past studies have shown that such an approach can effectively increase the number of women who accept modern family planning (FP).

Methods. In 2011, a study was conducted in Misamis Occidental, Philippines where 42 immunization centers were randomly assigned to treatment (n=21) and control groups (n=21). In the treatment sites, mothers with unmet need for FP were provided referral messages that simply said that the health facility provides modern FP services, and would they like to visit to learn more about modern FP. If yes, a schedule was set for their visit. In the control sites no referral messages were given. After six months the same mothers were interviewed to determine their current family planning status.

Results. Analysis on 1,593 women who had complete information in both surveys showed a net difference in CPR between treatment and control sites of 8.2 percentage points (11.9 percentage increase in the treatment site minus 3.7 percentage point increase in the control sites). This net difference was statistically significant at the 1% level.