Thanks to Richard Cunningham for suggesting another family planning method. See www.conceptus.com and http://www.essure.com/Home/Understanding/BenefitsRisks/tabid/56/Default.aspx

Thanks to Don Collins for this statement. See www.quinacrine.com. Also see Bruce Sundquist’s paper on quinacrine sterilization at http://home.windstream.net/bsundquist1/qs.html.

QS: A Safe, Inexpensive, Readily Administered Method of Family Planning

The need for better access to modern family planning methods worldwide remains only slightly over half accomplished. While better educational opportunities for women remains central to such improvement, the means for women regulating their fertility should constantly be enhanced. One method, quinacrine sterilization or QS, which has huge promise, remains underutilized.
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Many thanks to John Coulter of Sustainable Population Australia for this article, which apparently created quite a stir when it came out in 1967. It could just as easily have been titled, “The Religious Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis.” If you are a student of history or religion, I think you will find this article fascinating. It is also impressive that it was published in Science magazine.
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Many thanks to Bruce Sundquist for his paper on the most compelling arguments for increasing U.S. support for international family planning. You can visit his home page at http://home.windstream.net/bsundquist1/. The latest version of his paper on the changing rationales for funding family planning is at http://home.windstream.net/bsundquist1/ifp.html. His paper on strategies for funding family planning is at http://home.windstream.net/bsundquist1/fund.html.

Bruce Sundquist Arguments for Increasing U S Support for Family Planning (Word doc., 304 KB)

A MALE contraceptive jab tested by scientists has proved to be as good as the Pill in preventing pregnancies.

The injection, which temporarily halts sperm production, was found to be ‘highly effective’ during trials.

It is hoped the research could pave the way for both men and women to share equal responsibility for contraception.

However, findings from previous surveys have repeatedly suggested one stumbling block will be whether women would sufficiently trust men to make reliable use of hormonal contraception.

For full article, visit:
http://www.religiousconsultation.org/NEWS/contraceptive_jab_for_men.htm

Opposition to contraception is hurting the Philippines. Each year, more than half of the 3.4 million pregnancies in the country are unplanned, resulting in high costs to women, their families and the national health care system. In addition, this very high rate of unintended pregnancy is impeding the Philippine’s development goals.

Yet this is not an epidemic for which there is no known solution. Unintended pregnancies are highly preventable if women have access to voluntary family planning information and services, particularly modern methods of contraception.

For full article, visit:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/views-and-analysis

Ask 46-year-old Erlinda Cristobal (real name concealed by request) how many children she has.
“Ten,” she said.

“But I was supposed to have only six,” she snapped in a breath.

After the sixth pregnancy, Cristobal decided that she and her husband, a casual laborer who earns an average of four dollars a day, should not have any more children.

“My husband doesn’t have a stable job. There are days when we don’t eat so that our children can,” she told Xinhua in an interview near her residence in Manila.

For full article, visit:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=461829&publicationSubCategoryId=200

The Population Institute’s Global Media Awards are devoted to drawing attention to global population issues. The award honors those who have contributed to creating an awareness of population problems through their journalistic endeavors in a meritorious manner.
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From Development Gateway. Download the full report at http://population.developmentgateway.org/index.php?id=10976&tx_dgcontent_pi1%5btt_news%5d=496296&cHash=96a6085238&MP=10976-8975

Elements of Success in Family Planning Programming
Prepared by Catherine Richey and Ruwaida Salem, this issue of Population Reports offers an overview of the core factors contributing to the success of family planning programs. Family planning professionals around the world helped to identify these 10 crucial program elements. The report highlights program experiences, best practices, and evidence-based guidance derived from nearly six decades of experience in international family planning.

The overarching strategy of family planning programs is to offer clients easy access to a wide range of affordable contraceptive methods through multiple service delivery channels in a good-quality, reliable fashion. What do program managers do to work toward success?
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From Development Gateway. Download the full report at http://africahealth2010.aed.org/PDF/RFP_English.pdf

Repositioning Family Planning: Guidelines for Advocacy Action
‘Provision of family planning services in Africa is hindered by poverty, poor access to services and commodities, poor coordination of the programmes, and dwindling donor funding. In addition, traditional beliefs favoring high fertility, religious barriers, and lack of make involvement have weakened family planning interventions. Yet, it is considered an essential component of primary health care and reproductive health and plays a major role in reducing maternal and newborn morbidity, and transmission of HIV.’