The Institute for Reproductive Health is affiliated with the Georgetown University Medical Center. After promising results from initial trials, the operations research studies are designed to identify how different programs and providers will react to the method, how user needs and perspectives will change depending on different sociocultural contexts, and what organizational and operational adaptations will be necessary for successful introduction of the method. These two non-profit development organizations conduct a variety of activities to provide appropriate water and sanitation infrastructures and hygiene education to rural communities in El Salvador. The organization perceives a close relationship between resource management, community development and family planning, and has identified the inability of couples to plan the number and spacing of their children as a major problem in the communities where they work.
Many couples incorrectly use periodic abstinence or have limited access to family planning methods.
The disparity may be due to the fact that almost a third of Salvadoran family planning users rely on female sterilization, often after they have achieved high parity. Alternatively, it may be due to incorrect use of methods or poor method continuation. More than 22 percent of women of reproductive age do not use family planning siting side effects, partner opposition, religion, and health concerns as the primary reason. The survey indicates that more than 22 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44 do not use any family planning method. They site side effects, partner opposition, religion and health concerns as the primary reasons for not using a method.