A User-Centered Approach to Designing Non-Hormonal Contraceptive Solutions

Millions of women around the world lack access to optimal healthcare in varied forms, in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and India, one of those ways is lack of adequate family planning and contraception methods. In Nigeria, less than 17% of married women aged 15 to 49 use modern forms of contraception, indicating the country's low contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR).

ClientGates Foundation

Location(s) lagos, kano & port harcourt, nigeria

Funded by the Gates Foundation (GF), in partnership with Catapult Design, our team sought to understand and address women’s needs and preferences for non-hormonal contraceptives. The study unearthed the needs and preferences of women and helped to inform the creation of prototypes of non-hormonal solutions based on women's needs, experiences and priorities.

Informed by preliminary desk research, we underwent a 3 phase research exercise engaging with over 500 participants across Nigeria, first in one-on-one interviews and Focus Group Discussions, then in testing of developed prototypes.

Our findings along with the selected prototypes that consisted of popular attributes provided the Gates Foundation with actionable insights to guide future contraceptive development. The robust prototypes and synthesized learnings create a pathway for practical solutions that address women’s unmet needs.

Methods & Activities

Secondary research

Participant recruitment

Field research

Synthesis and analysis

Prototyping

Stakeholder report and update