Family Planning Evidence Database and Infographics

“For decades, social and behavior change (SBC) has been used in family planning (FP) programs to positively influence behaviors around healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP), use of modern contraception, contraceptive method selection and gender dynamics in FP decision-making with impressive results. However, these SBC successes sometimes get obscured in the vast landscape of health and family planning literature.”

To document and assess the the impact of SBC on family planning, the Health Communicaiton Capacity Collaborative (HC3) conducted a systematic literature search across nine databases, including peer-reviewed and grey literature. From nearly 14,000 results spanning approximately 20 years (1995-2016), myriad low- and middle-income countries and multiple FP indicators, HC3 narrowed its focus to screen exclusively for peer-reviewed, quantitative studies that evaluate SBC interventions resulting in a significant increase in FP method uptake.

The result is the SBC/FP Evidence Database – a resource that compiles and highlights key SBC successes. This database presents a collection of 249 articles describing interventions or studies that address family planning challenges through SBC approaches. Some studies address the same intervention across multiple articles, while other studies evaluate multiple interventions in the same article.

Articles can be sorted by filtered by the following categories: family planning method, audience, study design, country, and SBC activity (e.g. advocacy, community engagement, health worker training, mass media, and print materials). .

The evidence database is accompanied by a series of infographics whic, highlights key SBC successes in FP method uptake based on the database.  The series consists of the following info graphics:

• HC3 Family Planning Evidence Database: By the Numbers
• Social and Behavior Change Impacts Family Planning through Integrated Interventions
• Social and Behavior Change Impacts Youth Contraceptive Behavior
• Social and Behavior Change Impacts Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Method Use.

Click here to listen to a webinar which looks at emerging platforms that centralise FP and SBC tools and evidence – among them this HC3 FP evidence database.