Implants Create Opportunity in DRC: A Family Planning Success Story

Mar 8, 2019Family Planning, Gender and SGBV, Success Stories

Julienne is one of the many women we celebrate during International Women’s Month.

She is a shining example of how implants create opportunity in DRC. She is a 43-year-old mother of four and a force to be reckoned with!

Julienne and her husband had three children when they decided they wanted to pursue professional opportunities. They knew earning their college degrees would greatly benefit the family. But they needed to delay having any more children if they wanted to realize their dream.  Julienne spoke to her local ASSP-trained health center staff. They described the many family planning options available to her. Subsequently, she chose the implant method. Soon after, the health center staff performed the simple procedure and the implant was in place. As a result, she and her husband were given four years without an unplanned pregnancy. Just enough time for a college education!

Julienne and her husband decided to have their fourth child as they neared the end of their education. So they had the implant removed. Julienne received her diploma from the teaching college at the Institut Supérieur Pédagogique in Kananga. Soon after she gave birth to her fourth child. What a blessing!

The implant is a popular choice of birth control in ASSP’s assisted health zones. This is because implants create opportunity in DRC. Julienne used the implant to space her children’s birth. As a result, she and her husband both completed their college programs. She credits implants as the key to realizing their dreams.

By Linda James/IMA World Health

More than 525,000 implants have been distributed through ASSP’s Family Planning Program.

Providing women and their families with comprehensive information about various contraceptive methods ensures that they are able to make a well-informed choice. To date, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the ASSP project has ensured that over 525,000 women have received implants as a part of the overall family planning program. Protecting the health of both the mother and child are priorities for the ASSP program.

ASSP Family Planning Program

Follow the link below to learn more about ASSP’s Family Planning Program and the opportunities created for women in DRC.

Quick Facts

  • ASSP and the Ministry of Health provided over 525,000 implants.
  • 1.32 million new acceptors of modern methods of family planning are now enrolled.
  • ASSP provided 944,870 Couple Years of Protection.
  • ASSP-trained staff conducted 3,044 vaginal fistula repairs with a 94 percent success rate.
  • Skilled health personnel attended 1.5 million births at ASSP health facilities.
  • 195 health centers are trained and offering emergency obstetric and neonatal care.