ABSTRACT
In 1984, the Honduran Family Planning Association launched a contraceptive social marketing program by introducing the oral contraceptive, Perla. This report examines the impact of the program on overall oral contraceptive use, use by particular subgroups, source of supply, and costs. Although use of oral contraceptives increased only slightly over the period 1984-87 (from 12.7 percent to 13.4 percent among women in union aged 15-44), the social marketing program significantly increased its share of the oral contraceptive market (from 7 percent in 1984 to 15 percent in 1987, and from 20 percent to 40 percent of sales at pharmacies). For the Honduran Family Planning Association to have realized cost savings as a result of clients switching from community-based distribution programs and commercial supply sources to contraceptive social marketing programs, the association would have had to reallocate its resources. Instead, the number of distributors in the community-based distribution program increased, while the amount of couple-years of protection from oral contraceptives decreased.
PIP: Researchers used data from 2 national surveys of maternal-child health and family planning (1984 and 1987) and from a 1989 study of economic costs by method and program to examine the impact of the contraceptive social marketing program of the Honduran Family Planning Association (ASHONPLAFA). ASHONPLAFA launched the program in 1984 by introducing the oral contraceptive (OC) Perla. Between 1984 and 1987, OC use increased minimally (12.7-13.4% among 15-44 year old women in union), yet the contraceptive social marketing program increased its share of the OC market (7-15% overall, 20-40% at pharmacies). The analysis showed that costs to ASHONPLAFA would fall if more women bought OCs from the contraceptive social marketing program instead of the community- based distribution (CBD) program, and if the resources earmarked to the CBD program in urban areas decreased. Yet, the number of distributors in the CBD program in urban areas actually increased, so ASHONPLAFA did not achieve cost savings. Further, the amount of couple-years of protection from OCs fell. The findings showed that market forces did not work and may not do so in like programs, where profit is not a goal and managers are not held accountable for cost increases. They also indicate that, in urban areas, the contraceptive social marketing program can serve more clients and the CBD program can be cut back. Further research is needed to examine whether and by how much ASHONPLAFA could reduce the CBD program without losing clients.