While the total contraceptive prevalence rate in urban Uttar Pradesh (UP) is 56.3%, traditional method use is relatively high at 13.9%, with 10.1% of women using rhythm and 3.1% using withdrawal (NFHS 3). This is of concern because low effectiveness and lack of correct knowledge of fertile days result in high failure rates. Moreover, this indicates that women desire an alternative to the spacing methods that are currently available through the government program. In light of the high number of traditional method users, the SDM could help reduce the substantial unmet need for spacing methods in UP.

While the Government of UP has shown interest in including the two methods into pilot programs, the partnership has not yet been formalized. In the meanwhile, IRH is working with a range of partners to increase the availability of these methods in the state and demonstrate the need for including these methods into the method mix being offered to couples.

Our partnerships include:

• NGOs: IRH has been providing assistance to three NGOs to include SDM and LAM into community-level service delivery: Social Welfare Institute in Varanasi district, GB Pant in Lucknow district, and UPHVA in Allahabad district.
•  Lucknow-based intervention with Medical University: IRH has assisted a Primary Healthcare Centre in Lucknow to integrate SDM and LAM into their family planning services in a partnership facilitated through the Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University(CSMMU).
• Social Marketing of CycleBeads: IRH has partnered with Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) to socially market CycleBeads in Kanpur district.