Integrating family planning services into voluntary counseling and testing centers in Kenya

This study, published by Family Health International, aims to determine the effectiveness and costs of adding selected levels of family planning services to Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres in Kenya, as well as looking at the effect of adding family planning services on VCT quality of care. The authors found that integrating family planning training improves providers’ knowledge and attitudes toward family planning and increases the likelihood of VCT clients receiving family planning messages.

The study confirms the feasibility and acceptability of integrating family planning services in VCT and makes the following recommendations. Advocacy efforts should stress to policy makers the relatively large proportion of VCT clients at risk for unintended pregnancy. Trainings and supervision should focus on developing providers’ skills in pregnancy risk screening, informed choice counselling, and dual protection counselling. Finally, future trainings should enhance providers’ ability to target their messages to clients at risk for unintended pregnancy, men, and potentially clients who are HIV-positive. However, more research is needed to be able to make a definitive statement about whether integration of family planning services into VCT can result in contraceptive uptake adapted from author