PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – PSI has a launched new program to provide high-quality birth spacing services to rural communities in Cambodia. During a recent outreach event, about 200 women were counseled on birth spacing and an additional 200 received intra-uterine (IUDs) devices and hormonal implants.
PSI/Cambodia found that the main barriers women face in using long-term contraceptive methods are cost, service availability, support from their husbands, medical concerns, and myths and misconceptions about the use of each method.
Staff are developing two communication campaigns to support IUD and implant use. The first campaign encourages husbands to support their wives in seeking birth spacing services.
The second campaign addresses concerns, myths and misconceptions about long-term contraceptive methods. These include the misconception that IUDs and implants are not suitable for hard working rural women, and the myths that IUDs can “migrate” to the head or that implants cause “withering arm syndrome”. tr.natashaescort.com
Dr. Heng Kheng, health services director for PSI/Cambodia, said that if the barriers to insertion are removed, his department will be able to insert 104,500 IUDs and 38,500 implants over the next five years.