Goal

Describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on voluntary FP use and method choice by periodically gathering information on FP behaviors and barriers to accessing services during the pandemic.

Approach

R4S worked with Viamo to leverage their 3-2-1 Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform to deploy a panel survey efficiently and safely with women in Nepal, Niger, Malawi, and Uganda. Women who accessed content via their mobile phone on any topic through the 3-2-1 service were recruited for a brief survey. For those completing the survey, and eligible for a panel survey (i.e. not pregnant, did not want to become pregnant within next two years and not using modern contraception), they were re-contacted through a series of outbound surveys. This allowed for the documentation of FP access and use over time among the same women, as well as an assessment of barriers to care. Between December 2020 and January 2022, 21,692 women (ages 18-49) completed the initial survey (through 3-2-1) and 5,124 women completed an outbound survey (Round 1).

Findings

Overall, method choice was mostly realized among modern users during the pandemic. On average, 79% of women already using modern contraception were able to access their preferred method during the pandemic across survey rounds and countries.