Title: [Quality of care in commercial and social marketing of family planning programs in Latin America and the Caribbean]

POPLINE Document Number: 075968

Author(s):

Skidmore WS
Townsend JW
Cunningham NM
Urrutia JM

Source citation:

[Mexico City, Mexico], Population Council, Region Latinoamericana y del Caribe, 1991 Jul. 43 p. (Documentos de Trabajo No. 24)

Abstract:

The contraceptive commercial market includes programs of distribution such as oral contraceptives, vaginal spermicides, and condoms that depend on promotion, distribution, and sale to the user, while others depend on the provider such as injectables and IUDs. Organizations differ widely, and most commercial ones generate income. In Latin America and the Caribbean the prevalence of all contraceptive methods is 54%, and those sold in the commercial sector such as oral contraceptives, condoms, injectables, vaginals, and spermicides represent about one-half of this prevalence. For instance, in Colombia, temporal methods make up 22% and the prevalence of use of all methods is 63%. In Brazil, the respective figures are 28% and 65%, while in Mexico they are 15% and 53%. The commercial sector provided contraceptives in 40% of less developed countries in 1968 and 80% in the whole world. Social marketing (SM) in contraceptives was started as a first program in the region in 1973 by Profamilia in Colombia in the eastern Caribbean islands. By 1983-84, SM distributed 1% of contraceptives in Mexico, and 10% or more in Colombia and Jamaica. The programs consist of the product, the place, the price, and promotion. The quality of care in commercial SM of family planning (FP) programs involves the choice of methods, competence of the provider, and personal knowledge about the products (contraindications, side effects, referral). Information exchange between provider and client, promoting continuity of use, follow-up mechanism, provider-client relations, and services are detailed. Mechanisms for reaching the objectives of SM and the quality of care include the options of methods (oral, injectable, vaginal), new products (Norplant), and quality (contraband, rupture of 12% of Panther and Sultan condoms). Although FP is unquestionably cost effective in preventing and reducing births, improvements could be made in accessibility, prices, promotion, and in the skills of providers.

Keywords:

Latin America
Caribbean
Contraceptive Agents
Social Marketing
International Agencies
Client-Staff Relations
Interpersonal Relations
Family Planning Programs
Cost Effectiveness
Developing Countries
Americas
Contraception
Family Planning
Marketing
Economic Factors
Organizations
Behavior
Programs
Organization and Administration
Evaluation Indexes
Quantitative Evaluation
Evaluation