Self-injection of Sayana Press holds great promise for helping women overcome access barriers and increase their ability to manage their health. Results from a PATH-Ministry of Health study on self-injection in Uganda, newly available online through the journal Contraception, indicate that self-injection is feasible and highly acceptable among most study participants in Uganda.

In the study, 380 women between the ages of 18 and 45 were trained by licensed nurses to self-inject Sayana Press, guided by a client instruction booklet. Those judged competent (98%) were given a Sayana Press device, instruction booklet, and reinjection calendar for self-injection at home three months later. After the participants’ scheduled reinjection dates had passed, nurses visited participants at home to learn whether they had reinjected on time and to observe their self-injection technique on a prosthetic.

Results included:

• 95% of participants reinjected on time.
• 88% of participants demonstrated injection competence.
• 87% of women were both on time and competent.
• 98% of participants expressed the desire to continue self-injecting.