TY - JOUR T1 - WHO Tiered-Effectiveness Counseling <span class="underline">Is</span> Rights-Based Family Planning JF - Global Health: Science and Practice JO - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT SP - 352 LP - 357 DO - 10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00096 VL - 3 IS - 3 AU - John Stanback AU - Markus Steiner AU - Laneta Dorflinger AU - Julie Solo AU - Willard Cates, Jr Y1 - 2015/09/10 UR - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/3/3/352.abstract N2 - Contraceptive effectiveness is the leading characteristic for most women when choosing a method, but they often are not well informed about effectiveness of methods. Because of the serious consequences of “misinformed choice,” counseling should proactively discuss the most effective methods—long-acting reversible contraceptives and permanent methods—using the WHO tiered-effectiveness model.Improving access to long-acting, reversible methods of contraception (LARCs)—which provide highly effective, long-term, and easy-to-use protection against unintended pregnancy—is of crucial importance to the lives of countless individual women. Yet, among family planning experts, consensus remains elusive on the important issue of whether and how client counseling should emphasize this top tier of highly effective contraceptive methods. Research consistently shows women believe effectiveness is one of the most important factors—usually the most important factor—when choosing a contraceptive method,1 but accurate knowledge of contraceptive effectiveness remains poor.2In this paper, we argue for proactive counseling based on the World Health Organization (WHO) tiered-effectiveness chart that begins with the relative effectiveness of various methods as a way to provide truly informed choice. All contraceptives are not created equal. Counseling that does not focus on effectiveness can lead to “misinformed choice,” which may undermine rights-based approaches.Recent WHO guidance, summarizing findings of a technical consensus meeting on contraceptive choice and human rights, advises programs on how to ensure human rights are respected and protected when services are scaled-up to reduce unmet need for family planning.3 This seminal document was reinforced and extended through a new conceptual framework for human rights-based family planning.4,5The guidance was in part a reaction to civil society concerns about the ambitious, numerical goals of the Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) initiative, launched in London in 2012, which aims to extend modern contraceptive access to 120 million additional clients by 2020.6 In addition, this … ER -