How User Fees Influence Contraception in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Accessible and quality reproductive health services are critical for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). After a decade of waning investment in family planning, interest and funding are growing once again. This article assesses whether introducing, removing, or changing user fees for contracep...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studies in family planning 2016-12, Vol.47 (4), p.341-356
Main Authors: Korachais, Catherine, Macouillard, Elodie, Meessen, Bruno
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Birth control
Clinical trials
Cohort analysis
Contraception
Contraception Behavior - statistics & numerical data
Contraceptives
Developing Countries - economics
Developing Countries - statistics & numerical data
Family planning
Family Planning Services - economics
Family Planning Services - organization & administration
Family Planning Services - utilization
Fees & charges
Fees, Medical - statistics & numerical data
Financing
Health care
Health services
Humans
Income
Investments
Low income groups
Medical research
Quality of care
Reproduction
Reproductive health
Studies
Systematic review
Time series
User fees
Womens health
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Accessible and quality reproductive health services are critical for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). After a decade of waning investment in family planning, interest and funding are growing once again. This article assesses whether introducing, removing, or changing user fees for contraception has an effect on contraceptive use. We conducted a search of 14 international databases. We included randomized controlled trials, interrupted-time series analyses, controlled before-and-after study designs, and cohort studies that reported contraception-related variables as an outcome and a change in the price of contraceptives as an intervention. Four studies were eligible but none was at low risk of bias overall. Most of these, as well as other studies not included in the present research, found that demand for contraception was not cost-sensitive. We could draw no robust summary of evidence, strongly suggesting that further research in this area is needed.
ISSN:0039-3665
1728-4465
DOI:10.1111/sifp.12005