Contextual Factors in the Integration of Family Planning into VCT Services in Ethiopia

P. Stanley Yoder, Macro International Inc.
Yared Amare, Independent Consultant

This paper examines the role of the context of service delivery in shaping the integration of family planning (FP) and HIV services in health care facilities in Ethiopia. Research assistants interviewed health care providers trained in delivering family planning within voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) units in Amhara and Oromiya regions. Interviewers used a topic guide in outline form to guide discussions about their professional background, their training in FP and VCT services and their experiences in providing FP services. The study found that among the 18 health care facilities that had sent personnel for training in integration, only 10 were providing FP in their VCT. The factors that impeded the integration of FP services in VCT units were largely contextual ones: regular rotation of staff from one unit to another, high workloads of counselors leading to the suspension of the integrated service and the lack of adequate work spaces for counseling clients.