Interventions to improve the use of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods at primary health centers in Burkina Faso

Objective To assess the effects of strengthening family planning capacity on the uptake of long acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods at two primary health centers. Methods Between April 2016 and March 2017, the Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Burkina Faso (SOGOB) increased the capacity of two primary health centers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to offer LARC methods by training staff and providing family planning equipment and commodities. Uptake of LARC methods was compared between the year preceding the intervention and the year during the intervention. Results Within a year, the number of new users of family planning increased 2.8-fold from 2936 new users before the intervention to 8267 during it. The rate of new users of contraception increased 1.9-fold (14.9% vs 28.1%; P<0.001) for all LARC methods, 2.4-fold for intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs), and 1.7-fold for subdermal contraceptive implants. The proportion of new users of the copper IUCD younger than 25 years was higher during the intervention than before it (57.2% vs 46.9%; P=0.026). Conclusion The SOGOB's family planning intervention resulted in an increase in the use of LARC methods at the two primary health centers.