When a busy lawyer in Nairobi logged onto MYDAWA to purchase skincare products, family planning was the last thing on her mind. A regular customer of the digital health platform, she was browsing for beauty and wellness products when a pop-up advertisement promoting family planning consultations caught her attention.
She was intrigued but skeptical.
“She thought it was a hoax. She called to find out whether it was true,” said Mercy Waithera Maina, a clinical officer at MYDAWA.
The lawyer had been looking for a contraceptive method that suited her needs. Specifically, she wanted a combined oral contraceptive that could also help manage her acne. In the past, she might have purchased a family planning product over the counter with little guidance, relying largely on her own judgment.
Instead, she found herself in an extensive phone consultation with Mercy, discussing her reproductive health needs, medical history, lifestyle, and skin concerns.
“We had an extensive consultation and identified a combined oral contraceptive that could work for her and help with her acne,” Mercy said.
For the lawyer, the consultation was eye-opening. She had not known that MYDAWA offered family planning services, let alone access to a clinician who could discuss her individual needs and recommend an appropriate method. She was equally pleased to learn that, after the consultation, her medication could be delivered directly to her office, sparing her the need to leave work or schedule a visit to a health facility.
It was more than a convenient purchase; it was health care tailored to her circumstances and delivered on her terms.
This is the subtle revolution that the Jhpiego-supported E-Pharmacy for Family Planning project is enabling across Kenya.
For many Kenyan women, accessing family planning services remains challenging. Concerns about privacy, stigma, limited information, and the competing demands of work and family life often shape how and where women seek contraceptive services. In urban settings, barriers may be less about distance and more about time, discretion, and convenience.
Jhpiego’s partnership with MYDAWA was designed to address these barriers. Through an integrated digital platform, clients can initiate consultations through MYDAWA’s website, social media channels, WhatsApp, or mobile application; speak with trained clinicians at a time that suits them; and receive family planning products at their preferred location, often within hours.
“E-pharmacy offers a discreet, convenient, and trusted platform where users can access information, consult providers, get products delivered to their location of choice, and receive follow-up support from anywhere, at any time,” said Agnes Ngure, Jhpiego’s technical advisor for commerce, design, and demand generation. “It was designed to address barriers that traditional channels have never fully solved: stigma, privacy, convenience, and limited information.”
Mercy notes that many clients value the opportunity to discuss sensitive issues in a private setting and appreciate having a clinician guide them through the available options.
“Clients value having someone take the time to understand their needs,” she said. “Rather than choosing a product on their own, they can speak to a clinician who helps them identify a method that works for their lifestyle, health profile, and personal preferences.”
For the Nairobi lawyer, this guidance made all the difference. Instead of selecting a contraceptive without understanding which option best suited her circumstances, she received professional advice that addressed both her contraceptive needs and her concerns about acne.
Since 2024, the MYDAWA e-pharmacy platform has reached 8,622 clients across all 47 counties in Kenya and facilitated 4,788 unique digital family planning counseling sessions. Of those who received counseling, about 63 percent were first-time family planning clients, demonstrating the platform’s ability to expand access to reproductive health information and services. The remaining 37 percent used the telehealth platform to continue their current contraceptive method or switch to an alternative option with greater convenience and privacy.
Early signs from the project suggest strong demand for digital family planning services, particularly among younger and urban populations already accustomed to managing many aspects of their lives online.
“Digital health can play a transformative role in expanding family planning access by making services more accessible, personalized, and client-centered,” said Agnes. “It has the potential to reach underserved populations, reduce barriers to care, and complement—not replace—the public health system.”
For one lawyer in Nairobi, what began as a routine search for skincare products became an introduction to a different kind of health care experience—one in which a simple pop-up advertisement led not just to a purchase but to a conversation, expert guidance, and a family planning choice made with confidence.
Lisa Wagethi Kamau is a Communications Officer for Jhpiego Kenya.
Megan Christofield is the Principal Technical Advisor for Family Planning and Reproductive Health at Jhpiego.
