Filling the Knowledge Gap:

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Filling the Knowledge Gap Contraception for
Women and Couples with HIV Irina Yacobson,
MD Family Health International
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Purpose of the CD-ROM (module)

• Provide current guidance for providers who offer
  contraception to clients with HIV, including
  those on antiretroviral (ARV) therapy

• Developed in collaboration with AQUIRE
• Supported by REDSO/ESA
• Distribution through regional organizations
• Contents updated as needed

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Intended Audience

• Health care providers in east/southern
• Africa who
• serve clients with HIV
• specialize in
• family planning services
• HIV treatment and care (particularly ARV
  treatment)
• are higher level providers
• doctors and nurses
• want to offer integrated RH services

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CD-ROM (module) Design

• Facilitates
• self-study for individuals
• orientation/training for groups
• Distribution on CD
• collateral material enhances learning
  opportunities
• multiple file types allows users to adapt as
  needed
• Chunked module content
• learners and presenters select based on
  needs/interests/knowledge gaps

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Topics covered

• HIV/AIDS epidemic disproportionately affects
  women
• Role of family planning in alleviating the burden
  of HIV
• Reproductive choices and decisions for clients
  with HIV
• ARV therapy basics in the context of family
  planning
• Ensuring that services meet the needs of clients
  with HIV
• Contraceptive options for women and couples with
  HIV
• Family planning counselling for clients with HIV

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Choices for Clients with HIV
Adapted from Cates, 2001.
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Upcoming ProductToolkit to Increase Access to
Appropriate and Effective Contraception for
Clients with HIV

• Offer guidance and practical tools based on needs
  and lessons learned from programs integrating
  FP/HIV
• Target audience
• program designers/administrators
• RH trainers and supervisors
• providers

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Why the Toolkit?

• Module contains current technical information but
  no programmatic guidance
• Provide guidance about how to apply module
  information depending on the level/type of
  integration and structure of health services
• Identify/make recommendations about additional
  skills/support that may be required

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Contents of the Toolkit

• determined by needs/requests from the field
• literature review in progress
• needs assessment underway
• may include training materials/curricula, job
  aids, assessment tools, facility readiness
  checklists
• existing materials (adapted as needed)
• develop new materials in response to demand

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How Can You Help?

• Ongoing FP/HIV integration efforts
• keep us in the loop about what youre learning
  (experiences and changing needs)
• identify colleagues in the field who we can
  interview/involve
• identify existing materials, curricula, job aids
• brainstorm about possible tools to be developed
• participate in technical reviews
• identify opportunities for field-testing toolkit