Countering Conventional Wisdom: New Evidence on Religion and Contraceptive Use. In April 2011, the Guttmacher Institute published findings on contraceptive use by Catholics and Evangelicals. This research suggests that the perception that strongly held religious beliefs and contraceptive use are antithetical is wrong--in fact, the two may be highly compatible.

Making the Case for U.S. International Family Planning Assistance. By five former directors of the Population and Reproductive Health Program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID): J. Joseph Speidel, Steven Sinding, Duff Gillespie, Elizabeth Maguire and Margaret Neuse. The report documents the urgent need for greater U.S. assistance to family planning programs in the developing world which would contribute to international efforts to achieve the global Millennium Development Goal target ofuniversal access to reproductive health services, including family planning, by 2015.

A Response to Critics of Family Planning Programs. 2009. John Bongaarts and Steven W. Sinding. This is a response to common critics and misunderstandings of family planning. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 35(1): 39-44. 

Elements of Family Planning Success: Ten Essential Components of Family Planning Programs (website). This is a one year Web-based activity that the INFO Project has developed so that program managers around the world can come together to learn about evidence-based family planning information. It is a place where program managers can share their successes and lessons learned, network with people around the world, solve problems, bounce ideas off each other, and ultimately create a better program. The “Resources” section features a Media Library, New Resources, Publications, Job Aids/Tools, and Case Studies. 

The Future of Global Health: Ingredients for a Bold & Effective U.S. Initiative. 2009. Developed and endorsed by 25 organizations. “Recommendation 1” (p3) and “Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health” (p19-24) call for action on a number of issues related to family planning.

International Conference on Family Planning: Research and Best Practices. November 15-18, 2009, Kampala, Uganda. The Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Makerere University’s School of Public Health, and the Implementing Best Practices Initiative along with other international and national partners, organized this conference.  Presentations made at the conference are available here.

FP Saves Lives, 4^th ed. 2009. Rhonda Smith, Lori Ashford, Jay Gribble and Donna Clifton. Population Reference Bureau.  Presents well-documented evidence for reduced abortions with increased contraceptive use; the unmet need for family planning, including among young married couples; reductions in child mortality with longer birth intervals; and the health benefits of integrating family planning and HIV/AIDS services.

 Resources on Natural Family Planning from the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University (IRH).  IRH provides evidence-based materials and publications for program managers, healthcare providers, technical experts, researchers and policy makers on fertility awareness-based methods (FAM) of family planning [i.e. Standard Days Method, TwoDay Method, Lactational Amenorrhea Method]. IRH publishes a wide range of materials, including FAM integration tools, training curricula, provider job aids, client brochures, advocacy briefs, scientific journal articles and instructional videos.

The Contraception Guidebook: Options, Risks, and Answers for Christian couples. 2005. William R. Cutrer and Sandra L. Glahn. Zondervan and Christian Medical Association. This comprehensive guide with its conversational, first-person style, anecdotes from real-life couples, and solid medical information equips Christian couples to make fully informed decisions about the complex and deeply personal questions of contraception.  

The Gift of Sex. 2003. Clifford and Joyce Penner. W Publishing Group. This book provides Christian perspective on the broad areas of sex, and has a chapter on FP methods. 

Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers. Updated 2011 English Edition. The World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs and USAID. This handbook is an essential resource for health-care professionals providing contraceptive methods. Experts from around the world have contributed to the development of the handbook, and many major international organizations and professional organizations working in family planning have endorsed and adopted this guidance.

Contraceptive Pearls. The "Pearls" offer answers to commonly asked questions about family planning. These "Pearls" are prepared by Dr. James D. Shelton, Senior Medical Scientist, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, USAID.

Family Planning: A Key Component of Post Abortion Care. 2009. This is a consensus statement that applies to more than 10 million health professionals in 113 countries. It establishes the need for, and the importance of, a standard of practice to provide access to family planning for women following abortion, either induced or spontaneous (miscarriage). It recognizes the fact that post abortion family planning services can contribute to a reduction in subsequent induced abortions and improve child health outcomes among women who want to be pregnant again after a miscarriage."  

USAID Family Planning Resources. 2011. USAID. This website includes USAID's Family Planning Guiding Principles, U.S. Legislative and Policy Requirements, USAID's Family Planning Strategy, and success stories with tools for saving lives and protecting health through family planning.