The INFO Project Blog

In a recent interview about the Elements of Family Planning Success, Dr. Alan Bornbusch gives examples of national contraceptive success stories in countries including Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Dr. Bornbusch, a Public Health Adviser in USAID/Washington’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, explains the role of the supply chains and gives strategies for averting bottlenecks (supply choke points) in national contraceptive provision programs.

Zimbabwe has an innovative system that Dr. Bornbusch describes in this video. Trucks come to clinics each month with laptops to work with contraceptive supply managers to determine what supply should be for that month. Then, the supply is “topped up” to carry them through the next month.

Read the transcript of his entire interview, then tell us what you think.

Which important research findings have not yet had an effect on family planning practice? Vote now!

We’ve gotten in 80% of our target votes on this important question. Have your say today!

Update: Poll has closed. Thanks for your feedback! Read the rest of this entry »

In an article published today in the Lancet, Oxford University researchers report that women taking combined oral contraceptives (COCs) for 15 years halved their chances of developing ovarian cancer. Although the findings are not unexpected (we’ve known for over 20 years that COCs help protect against this disease) this study, which pools worldwide data from 45 studies, confirms that that protection begins soon after a woman starts taking COCs, and increases with increasing duration of use. Read the rest of this entry »

As a longtime fan of her work, I was excited to learn that Jessica Mayberry’s Video Volunteers brigade has been selected to participate in America’s Giving Challenge, an online fundraising competition sponsored by Global Giving and Parade Magazine. Read the rest of this entry »

In the upcoming issue of the US edition of Marie Claire, singer Christina Aguilera shows off her belly and reveals that the pregnancy happened sooner than she and her husband planned. From an AP story about the cover story it appears she has some misconceptions about their new conception (sorry).

I had gone off the Pill to prepare my body, because I didn’t know how much time it would take. You’ve heard it takes some time — except with Power Egg and Super Sperm here,” she says. “… I’m like, `Oh my god, can you believe it just happened?’”

Well, Christina, don’t flatter yourself too much.

As program specialist Megan O’Brien pointed out when she read this inaccurate statement, this is a perfect time to dispel myths about contraception. Neither combined oral contraceptives (COCs) nor progestin-only pills (POPs) delay a return to fertility after stopping use–any more than stopping use of non-hormonal methods like condoms.

Read the rest of this entry »