ArticleSexual and reproductive health matters2021
Informal payments for family planning: prevalence and perspectives of women, providers, and health sector key informants in western Kenya.
Article in Sexual and reproductive health matters, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed.
- Informal payments and the illusion of free care: a perspective from Somalia's fragile health system.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Informal and out-of-pocket payments for public-sector contraceptive care in remote Madagascar.Contraception · 2026Article
- Beyond the price tag: a scoping review of the determinants of informal payments in health systems and strategies for curbing them.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Measuring responsiveness and respectful treatment in maternity care in sub-Saharan Africa: a questionnaire validation and development of a score.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Barriers to contraceptive implant removal among current and prior implant users in Kisumu, Kenya: Results from a cross-sectional population-based survey.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Measurement and conceptualization of male involvement in family planning: a bibliometric analysis of Africa-based studies.Contraception and reproductive medicine · 2024Review
- Article
- Contraceptive stockouts in Western Kenya: a mixed-methods mystery client study.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Frequency and impact of long wait times for family planning in public-sector healthcare facilities in Western Kenya.Global health action · 2022Article
- Contraceptive method denial as downward contraceptive coercion: A mixed-methods mystery client study in Western Kenya.Contraception · 2022Article
- Evaluating the feasibility of the Community Score Card and subsequent contraceptive behavior in Kisumu, Kenya.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Absenteeism among family planning providers: a mixed-methods study in western Kenya.Health policy and planning · 2022Article
- Informal payments for modern family planning methods at public facilities in Tanzania: room for improvement.Human resources for health · 2022Article
- How women and providers perceive male partner resistance to contraceptives in Western Kenya: A qualitative study.Sexual & reproductive healthcare : official journal of the Swedish Association of Midwives · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Informal payments are off-the-record financial transactions made by patients to their healthcare providers. Providers in low- and middle-income countries solicit informal payments from patients to purchase additional supplies, supplement wages, or for other reasons. Informal payments reduce equitable access to healthcare services and undermine efforts to ensure universal health coverage. This study used multiple data collection methods to estimate the prevalence of informal payments, describe the impact, and explore feasible solutions for curbing this practice in western Kenya. Facility-level data were collected in 60 public sector facilities (contributing 142 mystery client visits and, in a subsample of 10 facilities, 253 client-provider observations). We conducted 8 focus groups with current and prior contraceptive users, 19 key informant interviews, and 2 journey mapping workshops. Providers solicited informal payments in 25% of mystery client visits and 13% of client-provider observations; the median amount of money requested from mystery clients was 1 USD. Focus group and journey mapping participants reported informal payments are a financial barrier and contribute to unintended pregnancy; key informants suggested greater community monitoring of facilities is key for reducing this behaviour.
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