PATH’s Dr. Jane Cover says 95% of her work involves self-injectable contraception technologies.
This is the third and final installment in Formidable’s series on the impact of PATH, a Seattle-based global health organization. Previous stories:
What you probably already know: As global health organizations grabble with funding disruptions and shifting political priorities, Dr. Jane Cover says the stakes for women’s reproductive health across the world have never been more urgent. Cover, reproductive health research manager at Seattle global health nonprofit PATH, says innovations such as self-injectable contraception are addressing deep-rooted social, cultural and logistical barriers to reproductive health, particularly in low-resource settings. One technology PATH relies on is a birth control shot known by the brand name Sayana Press, a prefilled auto-disabled device shot directly into the stomach that prevents ovulation. It replaces the need to take a birth control pill every day. One shot lasts three months.
Why it matters: Injectable contraceptives are becoming increasingly popular in Africa in no small part because they can be used discreetly. In other words, women can take control of their health without relying on their partner, who culturally may disapprove of any form of birth control. “Gender norms being what they are, she’s fully responsible for all the health, the housework, looking after the kids, cooking,” says Cover, who will celebrate 15 years at PATH this August. “And she somehow has to find time to get to the facility without her husband knowing in order to pick up her contraceptives. That’s the challenge of women’s lives in developing countries. What self-injection allows her to do is go home with three units. She’s not subject to the whims of a health care system that frankly doesn’t function very well.” Cover notes that self-injection has become “transformative” in many parts of Africa and Asia.
What it means: Though Cover says 95% of per work focuses on self-injection technology — which is also available in the United States — PATH is focused on whatever works socially, culturally and economically. Another product the nonprofit helps distribute is the CAYA diaphragm, which is used in 29 countries. However, PATH research shows that women who self-inject report better long-term outcomes. “That study has been replicated in Uganda, in Senegal, in Malawi, in Pakistan and in the U.S., across the board,” she says. “Women who are self-injecting are better able to continue using contraception.”
What’s next: Cover says she’d like to see PATH help accelerate adoption of the technology, which is already used by millions of women. That includes educating providers and nurses as well as prospective patients. Cover notes that many providers are reluctant to cede control for both professional and cultural reasons. “That’s a big hurdle,” she says. “To trust that women can do it and to recognize the benefits. When we’re talking about cultural barriers, that’s a big one we face.” Women in developing countries (including the U.S.) also must recognize the importance of the rights of women worldwide. “It’s just a universal female desire to have control over your reproductive health,” she says. “We have this in common with women out there in Africa.”
