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LAM: More than a Modern Contraceptive

Presenter: Annette Bongiovanni (Linkages)

• "What's the difference between LAM and exclusive breastfeeding?" Or, "Why bother with LAM if all you have to do is exclusively breastfeed?"
• "My sister-in-law got pregnant while breastfeeding. How effective is LAM?"
• "Why should we put resources into LAM since compliance with natural family planning methods is very difficult?"
• "We would like to program LAM but our project only focuses on child survival; we don't have the capacity to do a family planning program."

The presentation, LAM: More than a Modern Contraceptive, will disentangle facts and perceptions about one of the most effective family planning methods available to couples. Decades of scientific evidence supporting LAM as a modern method will be presented from numerous countries. You will learn that the typical use of LAM is 98% effective at preventing pregnancy: compare this to oral contraceptives which are 95% effective!

By the end of this presentation, you will realize that LAM is a programmer's "best friend" intervention because there is a wide range of flexibility allowed for implementation-no commodities, no charting of menstrual cycles, no negotiation with partners.

Note: If you have Power Point installed on your computer, click the Download tab to view the presentation using your software. If you do not have Power Point you may View the slides using Adobe (pdf).

LAM: More than a Modern Contraceptive: Annette Bongiovanni (Linkages)

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LAM is more than just another contraceptive method--it is an adjunct to the promotion of safe motherhood and child survival through the promotion of breastfeeding. Research has proven that LAM users have improved breastfeeding and weaning practices.

LINKAGES' mandate is to work with PVOs and CAs to mainstream LAM. If you are interested in LAM but do not know where to begin, LINKAGES' staff will provide you with the technical assistance and tools needed. If you're a cynic and find it hard to believe that LAM is a modern, competitively viable method of family planning, come to this presentation and pose your arguments.

Objectives of the Presentation:

1. To define LAM, the criteria for using LAM and the related terminology
2. To educate on the efficacy of LAM as a modern method of contraception
3. Provide guidance on integrating LAM into existing family planning and maternal and child health programs.

References will be contained in the forthcoming LAM CD-ROM: Multimedia interactive resource on LAM: A CD-ROM for Program Planners (release date: June 2002). The LAM CD-ROM's target audiences are (primary): the individual program planner working on a reproductive health or maternal and child health project in an NGO, PVO, or Cooperative Agreement in the field or at headquarters. Secondary: those targeted by the individuals in the primary audience who use the information to advocate for LAM programming in their project.

Methodology: This is a self-paced multi-media CD that can be viewed in one or more sittings. The advocacy presentation includes speaker notes that clarify and embellish the information presented in the slides. A complete bibliography of related LAM articles and their abstracts is included. There are illustrative examples of tested behavior change communication materials that can be adapted to a variety of country settings. In addition, there are background publications and materials, training manuals, and monitoring and evaluation tools.

Expected Outcome from the User: The primary audience can use the advocacy presentation to tailor a presentation for decision makers within their organization. The users can draw additional information from the bibliography and abstracts included in the CD to develop their own advocacy presentation. Projects which are ready to begin LAM programming can rely on the LAM CD contents to guide their program planning. Trainers have access to complete training manuals available in English, Spanish, and French. Examples of IEC materials are available from different geographic regions. Programmers can take advantage of using proven LAM indicators presented in the KPC 2000+ format.

To order copies contact Annette Bongiovanni, LAM & Reproductive Health Coordinator, LINKAGES Project, Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW Room 940, Washington DC 20009.5721. Tel: 202.884.8640. Fax: 202.884.8977. Email: abongiov@aed.org. To learn more about the LINKAGES Project, go to www.linkagesproject.org

Annette Bongiovanni is the new LAM & Reproductive Health Coordinator for the LINKAGES Project at the Academy for Educational Development. Prior to this position, she worked for five years at USAID as the Senior Technical Advisor on Maternal Health in the LAC Bureau. Annette has 15 years of international health experience and has lived in Honduras and Indonesia. Before working for USAID, she was the Resident Health Planning Advisor in Maluku, Indonesia on a World Bank maternal and child health project. Her first overseas assignment was also in Indonesia as the Nursing Coordinator on a Project HOPE training of trainers program in Jakarta.

Ms. Bongiovanni was an independent contractor for several years conducting assessments, evaluations and operations research throughout Latin America, in Namibia, Armenia, Russia, the Ukraine, and Indonesia. She has consulted for numerous USAID contractors, Harvard University, and the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank, the Pan American Health Organization, and the World Health Organization.

Ms. Bongiovanni also has 20 years of clinical nursing experience at Stanford Hospital, the Brigham & Womens Hospital, and Georgetown University Hospital in addition to her public health nursing assignments. (Continued next page)

She earned a Bachelors of Science degree in public health nursing from SUNY Binghamton and has a Masters of Public Administration degree from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. She completed post-graduate course work in primary and reproductive health at The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

In the early 1980's, Ms. Bongiovanni founded and managed an NGO that provided health education and services to three rural California communities. She has several international publications and has authored numerous technical reports.