Acceptability of Sino-Implant (II) in Bangladesh: Six-Month Findings from a Prospective Study

Bangladeshi women's interest in long-acting family planning methods, and in hormonal implants in particular, appears to have risen in recent years. National service statistics show a dramatic jump in monthly implant insertions to about 44,000, well over the 11,000 per month average of the past five years. This sudden increase suggests that latent demand for the implant is now being met because the device has become more widely available.

Currently, one type of implant (Implanon^®) is available in Bangladesh, and there is interest in adding Sino-implant (II). To this end, the RESPOND Project and Mayer Hashi were asked by Bangladesh's Directorate General of Family Planning of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to conduct an acceptability trial of Sino-implant (II), to inform the decision on whether to introduce Sino-implant (II) into the national family planning program and to provide lessons for scale-up. As of the midpoint of the one-year study, users of Sino-implant (II) appear to have found it acceptable, with relatively few discontinuing its use and most users reporting their general satisfaction with the method. However, the occurrence of a handful of infection-related side effects and some users' reports of concerns over bleeding-related side effects emphasize the importance of implementing a whole-site training approach at facilities providing the implant. Learn more >>>