Policy brief template - Scaling up self-injection of DMPA-SC to increase contraceptive access and options in [Country Name]

Aug 31, 2026

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Policy brief template for scaling up self-injection of subcutaneous DMPA (DMPA-SC) to expand contraceptive access and strengthen options for women and adolescent girls in [Country Name]. The brief explains how self-injection can improve control, reduce cost and travel time, support method continuation, raise contraceptive prevalence, and ease provider workload while helping the country meet FP2030 commitments. It includes a “What is DMPA-SC?” section with delivery settings and summarizes global evidence, recommendations, and where to find data.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatDOCX

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Policy brief template

A unique family planning option is transforming access to contraception

What is DMPA-SC?

A globally recommended practice

Where to find data to customize this policy brief

Experience and evidence supporting self-injection

Policy brief template: Scaling up self-injection of DMPA-SC to increase contraceptive access and options in [Country Name] A unique family planning option is transforming access to contraception Helpful hint: To customize the policy brief, cut and paste this text into the template your organization uses for its public materials, and make your edits there. Your final policy brief should ideally be no more than two pages. Increasing access to a wide range of contraceptives will improve the health and well-being of women and adolescent girls and will help [insert country] meet its Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) commitments. Yet, [insert percentage] of [married or unmarried] women of reproductive age who want to prevent or space pregnancies are not using contraception in [insert country], in part because existing methods are not accessible or do not meet their needs. Self-injection of subcutaneous DMPA (DMPA-SC) is transforming access to contraception by giving women and adolescent girls more control over how and when they use family planning. When a woman chooses to self-inject DMPA-SC, she can minimize the cost and time it takes to travel to a health facility. By mainstreaming self-injection of DMPA-SC in [insert country’s] national family planning program, [insert country] can reach women who have never used contraception, improve method continuation, increase contraceptive prevalence rates, and reduce health providers’ workload and the burden on health facilities. Helpful hint: If your target policymaker is unfamiliar with DMPA-SC, include the “What is DMPA-SC?” section. If they are already knowledgeable about the product, you can delete to save space. What is DMPA-SC? Subcutaneous DMPA is a widely available and easy-to-use injectable contraceptive that combines the drug and a needle in BD’s single-use, prefilled Uniject™ injection system. Sayana® Press is the brand name of the DMPA-SC product available today and is manufactured by Pfizer Inc. DMPA-SC can be administered by medical providers, community health workers, pharmacists, drug shop operators, and by women themselves through self-injection. Both provision by nonmedical health workers and self-injection offer the opportunity to further expand women’s access to contraception, especially in remote areas. A globally recommended practice Self-injection of DMPA-SC is an evidence-based practice that is endorsed globally and approved in many countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends self-administration of injectable contraception in settings where mechanisms to provide women with appropriate information and training exist, referral linkages to health care providers are strong, and monitoring and follow-up can be ensured. The WHO guidelines on self-care recommend self-administration of DMPA-SC as an evidence-based, woman-initiated intervention with the potential to increase choice and informed decision-making in health. Where to find data to customize this policy brief HYPERLINK "https://fpoptions.org/" DMPA-SC Resource Library HYPERLINK "http://dhsprogram.com/" Demographic and Health Surveys HYPERLINK "http://www.pma2020.org/" Performance Monitoring for Action (longitudinal survey data) HYPERLINK "http://www.track20.org/" Track20 (monitoring of progress in family planning) HYPERLINK "http://www.healthpolicyproject.com/index.cfm?ID=topics-FP2020&cip"Family planning costed implementation plans HYPERLINK "https://fpoptions.org/resource/pdg/"Contraceptive Self-Injection Program Design Guide HYPERLINK "https://fpoptions.org/resource/evidence-glance/" Evidence at-a-glance: What we know about DMPA-SC (links to additional resources within this Advocacy Pack). HYPERLINK "https://fpoptions.org/resource/important-policies/" Important policies for advancing access to DMPA-SC, including self-injection HYPERLINK "https://fpoptions.org/resource/advo-strategy-template/" Advocacy strategy development template DMPA-SC is registered for self

FAQs

How does self-injection of DMPA-SC improve contraceptive access and options?

Self-injection gives women and adolescent girls more control over when and how they use family planning. It can reduce cost and travel time to health facilities, enabling broader reach and stronger method continuation.

Who can administer DMPA-SC, and what is included in the product system?

DMPA-SC can be administered by medical providers, community health workers, pharmacists, drug shop operators, and by women themselves through self-injection. It is delivered through BD’s single-use, prefilled Uniject™ system.

What global guidance supports self-injection of DMPA-SC?

WHO endorses self-administration of injectable contraception in settings with appropriate information and training, strong referral linkages, and reliable monitoring and follow-up. WHO also recommends self-administration of DMPA-SC as an evidence-based woman-initiated intervention.

Aug 31, 2026

Upload by Mia