Spotlight
A selection of resources from across the Federation
HIV Theory of Change
Our HIV Theory of Change is to clarify the goals and vision of IPPF’s HIV programme and to articulate the different pathways and strategies IPPF uses to contribute towards its HIV goals and vision.
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| 10 February 2021
Reducing Abortion Stigma: Global Achievements since 2014
Abortion stigma affects everyone: individuals, communities and service providers. Young women and adolescent girls bear the brunt of abortion stigma. It causes delays in people seeking abortion and stops others from accessing it, leading to unintended pregnancies. Stigma drives abortion underground, where it is more likely to be unsafe. Since 2014, the support of the David & Lucile Packard Foundation has enabled IPPF to reduce abortion stigma affecting young people around the world, working directly with Member Associations in six countries (Bénin, Burkina Faso, India, Pakistan, Ghana and Nepal). Meaningful youth participation has ensured that young people’s lived experiences were central in every aspect of this work. This project has also supported smaller ground-breaking youth-led projects in 14 different countries: Albania, Colombia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Macedonia, Nepal, Nigeria, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, Spain, Tanzania and Venezuela. This document highlights the achievements and learnings from the Abortion Stigma Project between 2014 and 2020, including case studies, research and evidence generated around abortion stigma, and popular resources and tools developed throughout the project, and more. We invite you to read more on this ground-breaking work in Reducing Abortion Stigma: Global Achievements since 2014
| 24 September 2020
Innovating to provide abortion care during COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, women globally face compounded barriers to accessing safe abortion care. The de-prioritization of sexual and reproductive health services including abortion care, overwhelmed health systems, restrictions on movement and fear of visiting health facilities have all created additional challenges for women to safely end a pregnancy. However, recognizing the need to adapt to ensure women have access to the care they need, this crisis has sparked innovation among IPPF Member Associations. They developed new approaches to reach women with safe abortion information and care, while keeping women’s choice and quality of care at the centre of their work. This document illustrates some of the innovative approaches used to ensure continued access to quality abortion care during the pandemic.
| 06 December 2019
IMAP statement on expanding access and contraceptive choice through integrated sexual and reproductive health services
In 2018, IPPF endorsed the WHO/UNFPA Call to Action to Attain Universal Health Coverage Through Linked Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and HIV Interventions.13 This IMAP statement serves as a reminder of this call to action to ensure all people have access to comprehensive SRH services, including integrated contraceptive and HIV/STI services, provided through primary healthcare.
| 28 October 2019
After the ECHO trial – Expanding access and choice through integrated services
Since the early 1990s, the evidence has been inconclusive as to whether using hormonal contraception increases women’s risk of acquiring HIV, particularly among progestogen-only injectable users. Observational studies indicated that women using progestogen-only injectable contraceptive methods may be at higher risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (ECHO) trial finds no link between HIV acquisition and the use of DMPA-IM, progestogen implant, and non-hormonal copper IUD. For more information please see the technical brief on the ECHO trial. Following the release of the result of the ECHO trial and the WHO latest guidance statement and revised Medical Eligibility Criteria (MEC) for contraceptive use, IPPF developed a follow-up technical brief to support IPPF MAs and frontline service providers’ work regarding the provision of the integrated contraceptive, HIV and other STI programmes to expand access and contraceptive choice. For more information, please see the attached technical brief After the ECHO trial – Expanding access and choice through integrated services, available in English and French.
| 09 July 2019
IPPF Technical Brief on the ECHO trial
Since the early 1990s, the evidence has been inconclusive as to whether using hormonal contraception increases women’s risk of acquiring HIV, particularly among progestogen-only injectable users. Observational studies indicated that women using progestogen-only injectable contraceptive methods may be at higher risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The ECHO trial finds no link between HIV acquisition and the use of DMPA-IM, progestogen implant, and non-hormonal copper IUD.
| 03 April 2019
Improving the quality and availability of post-abortion care in a humanitarian crisis
The world is facing stronger and longer natural disasters, protracted complex emergencies, conflicts and epidemics. These humanitarian crises can expose weakness in health systems, with particularly serious consequences for women and girls in need of reproductive health care. To improve the quality and availability of post‑abortion care during a flood, the University of Leicester and International Planned Parenthood Federation South Asia Region (IPPF-SAR), in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, developed and measured the impact of an integrated intervention package, called RHCC. First tested in a flood-prone area of Bangladesh, this novel approach includes: i) Pre-positioning medicines and supplies, using the UNFPA’s Inter-Agency Reproductive Health Kit 8; ii) Capacity building of service providers; and iii) Community awareness raising. Supported by IPPF's Innovation Programme, the project aligns with IPPF’s commitment to ensuring that crisis-affected populations receive timely, quality, life-saving, gender-responsive and inclusive sexual and reproductive health services.