Policies and Guidelines

The Standard Days Method® (SDM) is incorporated into family planning norms and policies in 16 countries around the world. WHO recognizes SDM as an evidence-based practice and includes it in their family planning guidance documents. Contraceptive Technology, the family planning reference book for health professionals also includes SDM as a modern method.

The DHS conducted by ICF Macro are the international standard in population-based surveys. In surveys of Rwanda, Peru and the Philippines, SDM is considered - along with sterilization, hormonal contraceptives, condoms and IUDs - as a modern method of family planning. Additional countries are including it in this category as SDM services become more widely available.

The inclusion of SDM and other Fertility Awareness-based Methods in these documents legitimizes the method and encourages programs to offer it.

 

The Standard Days Method® (SDM): A Modern Family Planning Method
2010 | Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University | 2 p
The Standard Days Method®: A modern family planning method, FAM Project.
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International Family Planning and Reproductive Health Guidelines (5 resources)

WHO recognizes SDM as an evidence-based practice and includes it in their family planning guidance documents.

    Example National Norms and Guidelines which include the SDM (4 resources)

    The Standard Days Method® has been introduced in 30 countries worldwide, and integrated into the national norms and guidelines of 16 countries. See examples from Kenya, Mali, Nicaragua and Peru below.