June 2024 Newsletter
Dear Friend of DKT,
Since our inception 35 years ago, DKT has been a pioneer of sex-positivity – seeking to shatter stigma about pleasure and pave the way for greater access to sexual and reproductive health products around the world. Our advertisements have historically (and admittedly) been predominantly heteronormative, but local teams and our affiliates – carafem, Women First Digital, and DKT WomanCare – have increasingly found ways to better incorporate messaging and images that raise up the stories and rights of LGBTQ+ individuals around the world. As we celebrate Pride this month, we highlight those efforts and shed light on the work we are doing around the world to move the needle forward for LGBTQ+ rights.
In the global spotlight this month is our work in Pakistan, where DKT Pakistan's Cost per CYP in 2022 was $0.30 - extremely low. We are able to keep costs low because sales revenues play an increasing role in supporting overall operations and DKT's CYPs have, accordingly, grown - so expenses are spread across more CYPs, leading to more impact. Our ability to keep costs low adds value to your investment in DKT and stretches each donor dollar that much further.
We are also pleased with the news from this past week that the Supreme Court of the United States rejected a challenge to the legality and safety of mifepristone, which ensures that women in the US can continue safely accessing medical abortion (MA) via our affiliate carafem. Such a lawsuit should never have made it through the system, but this news affirms that DKT and its affiliates can continue to keep these vital medications available, affordable, and accessible in as many US states as possible.
Finally, we take you to Jordan, where DKT has partnered with the Jordanian government to procure IUDs for sale in Palestinian refugee camps; and we have some exciting news to share from Guatemala (read below).
As always, we thank you for your continued support.
Cheers,
Chris Purdy, President
Global teams take Pride in the celebration of LGBTQ+ life
Pride is a month where DKT affirms our year-round commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, and our teams are showing up and showing out for Pride all around the world.
In Brazil – where the annual Pride parade attracts more than 3 million people – DKT built upon an existing partnership with Mac Cosmetics to promote the safe use of condoms by distributing samples to local influencers, who were invited to watch the parade festivities from Mac’s centrally-located storefront. In all, a total of 15,000 condom samples were distributed to attendees throughout the day.
In the Philippines, PREMIERE condoms sponsored LoveYourself’s Pride Night 2024. The event was a celebration filled with music and performances from national LGBTQ+ icons, including drag queens, actors, and influencers. DKT Philippines will again partner with LoveYourself on June 22 to facilitate the Love Laban 2 Everyone, the Pride PH festival 2024. Last year’s event was the largest Pride event in Southeast Asia.
In Myanmar, DKT had an information booth at and co-sponsored the Out, Loud & Proud event on June 15, which included panel discussions on “Inclusivity in the Workplace” and the “Mental Well Being of LGBTQ+ Community,” as well as live musical and dance performances throughout the night.
DKT’s work with the LGBTQ+ community doesn’t begin and end with Pride. Our teams regularly engage both youth and mainstream queer communities with outreach and media programming throughout the year. Last year, DKT helped organize the “Gay Family Rendez-Vous,” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an event organized by a young, gay man to welcome members of the LGBTQ+ community that recently came out by supporting three versions of the event, held last June, August, and October. DKT teams in West Africa sought to leverage similar discrete programming in Cote d’Ivoire on World Aids Day by distributing free condoms at night in an area known to be frequented by LGBTQ+ people who sell sex.
In Mozambique, DKT partnered with LAMBDA, an NGO defending the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and provided 8,640 condoms in commemoration of Pride month. DKT Mozambique further promoted the visibility of LGBTQ+ issues by featuring prominent transgender and queer activists on the acclaimed talk show, Prudence Comekie!
Data Spotlight on Pakistan
At DKT, we track a lot of data points. Below we share recent data from our team in Pakistan to demonstrate how data converges to tell our story as it relates to global impact and overall sustainability. Those data points include keeping tabs on DKT’s health impact in a given market, while also taking account of CYPs, which allow us to measure our goal to make initiatives more sustainable.
Our team in Pakistan kept their Cost per CYP hovering around $0.30 – extremely low. Sales revenue plays an increasing role in supporting DKT’s overall operations and CYPs have, accordingly, grown, ensuring that expenses are spread across more CYPs for greater impact.
Recovering costs for our supplies and operations in a given market means an initiative is on a path toward sustainable growth. At DKT, we maintain a tool we call the 'Sustain-O-Meter' through our latest audited financials. The Sustain-O-Meter is a function of two things: rising sales revenues that cover an increasing percentage of overall costs as well as declining donor support over a period of time. The table shows DKT’s organic sustainability, measuring both growth in sales revenue and the cost of goods. Expenses go up and down, which is most often a reflection of changing donor support. The table aggregates both DKT Pakistan and DKT Afghanistan.
In 2023, DKT Pakistan and DKT Afghanistan prevented nearly 2 million unintended pregnancies and an estimated 1 million unsafe abortions. Here is a link to DKT's contribution to reducing MMR around the world. By our estimates, our efforts prevented around 12% of maternal deaths in Pakistan and 3.5% in Afghanistan.
Recommended by LinkedIn
MENA region expands partnerships in Jordan and delivers IUDs to Palestinian refugee camps
Last month, DKT teams delivered some 25,000 IUDs to the Jordanian Ministry of Health. These products are slated for distribution to hospitals across the Kingdom as well as medical clinics in refugee camps with mostly Palestinian residents. As part of DKT’s work to reach disenfranchised populations, DKT hopes to do more with Palestinian populations in the region in the coming months and years.
Guatemala and Nicaragua: Increasing access to safe abortion and post-abortion care
DKT’s efforts to increase access to safe abortion and post-abortion care in the region continue.
Over the past few months, DKT has launched mifepristone in Guatemala and Nicaragua – and just received an approval for misoprostol in Guatemala. The launch of mifepristone in Nicaragua is the first in history there.
This builds on DKT’s work. We now sell MVA technology and/or mifepristone and misoprostol in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama – as well as throughout South America.
For more information about our work in Latin America, contact our Regional Director, Mario E Flores Alvarez for our operations in Central America and Mexico. For South American operations, contact Regional Director, Hyam Bolande.
Inflation persists in Turkey, but DKT Turkey presses on with new campaign
Turkey’s inflation rate reached its highest level yet in May, positioning the country as having one the highest inflation rates in the world behind only Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Sudan, and Argentina. High inflation rates traditionally affect consumer behavior and discourage end-users from purchasing new products, but DKT Turkey is not letting the financial challenges of the moment discourage their work.
In May, the team launched a creative new, animated ad campaign for their most prominent products. The new campaign serves to both educate end users and encourage women and men to understand their contraception options, building on a theme of “1 = to 1,” with the number "1" equals "1" emergency contraception (EC) pill.
Get a “first look” at the videos below for their Silky Kiss condom, and the EC, Post-pill (emergency contraception) ads.
US Supreme Court ruling affirms legality of mifepristone
The United States Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the availability and legality of mifepristone last week ensuring that this vital drug can remain available in states that allow it – for now.
In its ruling, the Court indicated that challenges to the legality of mifepristone could still be made at the legislative and executive levels of government, stating in their opinion, “some issues may be left to the political and democratic processes.”
In the United States, DKT’s affiliate carafem applauded the decision and affirmed its commitment to providing compassionate care to abortion seekers throughout the country. Melissa Grant, carafem’s COO said she was pleased with this outcome, but recognized that the battle for comprehensive and equitable access to abortion care is far from over.