New, Updated 2011 Supplement to Family Planning Handbook Published

 

If you have a copy of the 2007 or 2008 version of the Global Handbook, you do not need to order a new copy of the 2011 edition. Simply download and print this supplement.

Since 2007, health care providers around the world have used Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers to council their clients, train clinic based health professionals, and research guidance about family planning methods. A new, updated 14-page supplement is now available reflecting some minor changes and updates to previous editions.

Published by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the World Health Organization, the United States Agency for International Development , and other organizations, the new supplement incorporates new or revised guidelines on specific aspects of contraceptive choice and use.

The changes include some minor revisions to WHO's Medical Eligibility Criteria and Selected Practice Recommendations made in 2008 and 2011.

The main changes are:

• A woman may have a repeat injection of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) up to 4 weeks late.
• During breastfeeding, antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for the mother, for the HIV-exposed infant, or for both can significantly reduce the chances of HIV transmission through breast milk.
• Community-based provision of progestin-only injectable contraceptives by appropriately trained community health workers is safe, effective, and acceptable. Such services should be part of a family planning program offering a range of contraceptive methods..
• Generally, women taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV/AIDS can generally use any contraceptive method. There is one exception: Ritonavir or ritonavir-boosted ARVs may make combined hormonal methods or progestin-only pills less effective.

You can download the summary of major changes from 2008 and 2011 updates here