Consumer insights
Prepared and
in control
When it comes to contraceptive options, we’re missing the 150 million women and girls living in low- and- middle-income countries who have infrequent sex and still want to be prepared and in control.
These consumers don’t believe that continuous or everyday contraceptive methods fit their lifestyle needs. Without on-demand, women-controlled options, we – from donors to health systems – continue to leave these women behind.
When a new on-demand contraceptive arrived in Benin, Péniel and Valérie were among the first in their community to line up for the Caya® diaphragm. They – like the 1.1 billion sexually active women globally who do not want to get pregnant – shared that they wanted options to prevent pregnancy on their own terms.
Consumer insights
Growing evidence suggests the appeal of “on-demand” contraceptive methods, used at the time of sex and linked to immediate need, for women who have infrequent sex—many of whom desire convenience, ease of remembering, and avoidance of continuous exposure to contraceptive hormones.
Insight
She doesn’t want a baby now – but does want to protect her fertility in the future. For now, she may be using condoms (which aren’t in her control), oral contraception (which can be inconvenient) or, simply, nothing. A woman-controlled, on-demand method would be right up her ally.
Opportunity
On-demand contraception can address her desire to be prepared and in control for her infrequent sexual encounters—all while allowing her to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. Plus, on-demand options now could support her to choose a longer-term method in the future when it feels right for her.
Insight
She may have discontinued other contraceptive methods due to side effects or feeling that they didn’t fit her lifestyle.
Opportunity
On-demand options aren’t continuous, and neither are the potential for side effects.
Insight
She’s unmarried and/or young person, and faces significant stigma and financial and logistical barriers to accessing non-judgmental contraceptive counseling, tailored to her needs.
Opportunity
On-demand methods are easily accessible and affordable, and can accessed in clinics and at pharmacies. With the right investments, we can support these consumers, especially young people, to choose on demand methods from subsidized (and as relevant, youth-friendly) channels.
We can be
Ready When She Is
For the first time, there is a robust pipeline of female-controlled, on-demand methods poised for market introduction to meet the diverse needs of women and girls – and get us closer to the SDGs, FP2030 commitments and, ultimately, UHC.