Institute for Reproductive Health

What Institute for Reproductive Health does

The Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) is a non-profit academic research institute founded in 1985 and housed within Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC. The institute designs, tests, and disseminates evidence-based sexual and reproductive health programs, with its core technical contributions centered on fertility awareness-based family planning methods — most notably the Standard Days Method (SDM) and its companion physical/digital tool, CycleBeads. CycleBeads is a patented technology owned by Georgetown University and licensed to Cycle Technologies for commercialization, reaching end-users through www.CycleBeads.com and iOS/Android mobile applications. The broader product portfolio includes the CycleSmart Kit for very young adolescents (ages 10-14), the GREAT Scalable Toolkit for gender equity programming, the Social Norms Exploration Tool (SNET), and program initiatives such as Passages (social norms transformation) and FACT (Fertility Awareness for Community Transformation). Underlying research has been published across more than 200 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Contraception, Global Public Health, and Culture Health & Sexuality, with SDM efficacy demonstrated at greater than 95% effectiveness with correct use.

IRH's revenue model is anchored in research grants and cooperative agreements, primarily from USAID (notably Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-10-00073 supporting the GREAT Project and subsequent Passages Project funding), supplemented by licensing royalties from Cycle Technologies. The institute does not sell products directly; instead, it transfers methodologies, toolkits, and training materials free of charge to implementing partners — including Pathfinder International, Save the Children, and FHI 360 — and to government health ministries that integrate SDM into national family planning norms. IRH convenes the Learning Collaborative to Advance Normative Change (30+ organizations, 80+ Summit participants), positioning itself as a methodology steward in the international reproductive health and gender equality field. The institute serves adolescents (ages 10-19), young couples in developing-country contexts, faith communities, and international development organizations, with documented program presence in over 20 countries across East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, South Asia, and Central America.

Name

Institute for Reproductive Health

Legal name

Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University

Website

https://irh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Reproductive Health is a non-profit research institute at Georgetown University that designs and disseminates evidence-based fertility awareness and social norms programs — including the Standard Days Method, CycleBeads, and the GREAT toolkit — for adolescents, young couples, faith communities, and implementing NGOs across more than 20 developing countries, funded primarily through USAID cooperative agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reproductive Health Research and Programs

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

akta.pro primary industry

Sexual & Reproductive Health & Family Planning (SRH/FP) Programs (BPADAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Program Evaluation (HLAJANAE), Maternal, Child & Reproductive Health Analytics (HLAJAJAF)

Keywords

• Fertility awareness methods
• Reproductive health programs
• Family planning research
• Social norms interventions
• Gender equality programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements: Primary funding from USAID through cooperative agreements such as the Passages Project and GREAT Project. The institute conducts research and program implementation funded by development agencies.
2. Licensing Royalties: CycleBeads are a patented technology owned by Georgetown University that has been licensed to Cycle Technologies for commercialization. IRH receives licensing income from this arrangement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IRH designs and implements evidence-based sexual and reproductive health programs, including the Standard Days Method with CycleBeads, fertility awareness tools, gender equality toolkits (GREAT), and social norms change interventions (Passages). It conducts efficacy trials, develops toolkits and training resources, and transfers methodologies to implementing NGOs and government health ministries through USAID-funded cooperative agreements.

Product overview

The Institute for Reproductive Health offers a portfolio of reproductive health products and programs centered on fertility awareness methods. The core products include CycleBeads® (a color-coded bead-based tool) and the Standard Days Method (SDM) for family planning, along with the CycleSmart™ Kit for adolescent education. These are complemented by program toolkits like the GREAT Scalable Toolkit and initiatives such as the Passages and FACT Projects. The organization also provides mobile applications and training resources including My Changing Body puberty education materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CycleBeads: Color-coded string of beads for tracking menstrual cycle and fertility awareness, used with the Standard Days Method of family planning
• CycleSmart Kit
• Standard Days Method (SDM)
• Passages
• GREAT (Gender Roles, Equality and Transformations)

Products and services

• Standard Days Method (SDM) A simple, modern fertility awareness-based method of family planning that identifies a fixed set of days in the menstrual cycle when a person can get pregnant. Found to be more than 95% effective with correct use. Provided to women, men, and couples worldwide through implementing partners.
• CycleBeads A color-coded string of beads that helps women track their menstrual cycle and identify fertile days for use with the Standard Days Method of family planning. Patented technology licensed to Cycle Technologies for commercial distribution.
• CycleBeads Mobile App A smartphone application for CycleBeads that helps users track their menstrual cycle and fertility, available for free download in Apple and Google Play stores.
• CycleSmart Kit A package of tools tailored to girls ages 10-14 that includes CycleBeads, a calendar, a weekly diary, reusable sanitary napkins, and a country-specific brochure about puberty and fertility awareness.
• GREAT Scalable Toolkit A set of interactive and age-tailored materials for adolescents including flipbooks for very young adolescents, activity cards for multiple age groups, radio discussion guides, and the GREAT Game board to promote gender equity and reproductive health.
• Social Norms Exploration Tool (SNET) An assessment tool used by practitioners to identify influential people and social norms that affect young couples' reproductive health behaviors and intimate partner violence, enabling design of more relevant programs.
• My Changing Body: Body Literacy & Fertility Awareness for Young People A manual teaching girls and boys ages 10 to 14 about the changes they experience during puberty, including body literacy and fertility awareness.
• Passages Project A norms-shifting intervention project addressing social norms to improve family planning, reproductive health, and well-being among young people through community-based approaches in low-resource settings.
• FACT Project (Fertility Awareness for Community Transformation) A project focused on fertility awareness for community transformation, providing resources and tools for fertility awareness and family planning at the community level.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 95% effectiveness with correct use of Standard Days Method
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• FHI 360coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-publisher of Transforming Masculinities brief and active collaborator on Passages project implementing norms-shifting interventions.
• TearfundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Led the Transforming Masculinities approach in partnership with Georgetown University's IRH. Masculinité, Famille, et Foi adapted from Tearfund's pilot program for faith communities in DRC.
• Johns Hopkins GEASsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-publisher of Transforming Masculinities brief, contributing expertise on gender equality and social norms.
• PSI (Population Services International)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-publisher of Transforming Masculinities brief, contributing to social norms programming research.
• Église de Christ au CongosupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2017Local faith-based organization in DRC implementing the Masculinité, Famille, et Foi project adapting Transforming Masculinities approach for faith communities in Kinshasa.
• Learning Collaborative to Advance Normative ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016IRH-convened collaborative of 30+ organizations working to advance theory, measurement and scale-up of social norms practice globally. Conducted Summit meeting in May 2019 with 80+ participants.
• Cycle TechnologiescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2012Licensed partner for commercialization of CycleBeads. IRH developed the patented technology which is owned by Georgetown University and licensed to Cycle Technologies for distribution via www.CycleBeads.com and mobile apps.
• Save the ChildrencoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Consortium partner in the Gender Roles, Equality and Transformation (GREAT) Project. Save the Children collaborated with IRH and Pathfinder International to develop the GREAT toolkit and implement gender equity programming for adolescents in northern Uganda.
• Pathfinder InternationalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Consortium partner in GREAT Project, led theme song competition for radio drama and supported toolkit implementation in northern Uganda communities.
• Georgetown UniversitycoreOthersIRH is a research center within Georgetown University Medical Center. The institute operates under the university's established policies on copyright, disclaimers, and terms of use.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FHI 360: FHI 360 is a large international development organization advancing health, education, and social development, with a significant reproductive and family health portfolio. It is comparable to IRH as an active collaborator on the Passages Project and as a major implementer of USAID-funded norms-shifting SRH interventions.
• JHPIEGO: JHPIEGO, a Johns Hopkins affiliate, is a global health nonprofit that partners with countries to build health workforce capacity, with substantial work in reproductive, maternal, and family planning services. It is comparable to IRH as a large, established institution in the SRH/FP field that emphasizes evidence-based training and programmatic scale-up.
• Pathfinder International: Pathfinder International is a global SRH organization implementing family planning, maternal health, and adolescent programs in more than 15 countries. It is directly comparable to IRH as a core consortium partner on the GREAT Project and as a fellow implementer of USAID-funded SRH/FP and gender-transformative programs.
• Population Services International (PSI): PSI is a global health organization with a major footprint in social marketing and direct provision of contraceptives and reproductive health services across the developing world. It is comparable to IRH as a contributor to the Transforming Masculinities brief and as a co-implementer of social-norms and family planning programming.
• CARE USA: CARE is a major international humanitarian organization with deep programming on women's empowerment, gender equality, and sexual/reproductive health. It is comparable to IRH in addressing social norms, gender equity, and family planning access for marginalized women in low-income country settings.
• Save the Children: Save the Children is a major international NGO with health, education, and child protection programs, including adolescent sexual and reproductive health work. It is comparable to IRH as a core consortium partner on the GREAT Project, jointly developing and implementing the gender-equity toolkit in northern Uganda.

Direct peers

• EngenderHealth: EngenderHealth is a global nonprofit working in sexual and reproductive health, with programs in family planning, maternal health, and gender-based violence. Like IRH, it combines research, training, and field implementation, including a strong focus on informed choice in contraceptive methods and gender-transformative approaches.
• Population Council: Population Council is a nonprofit research institute that conducts biomedical and social science research to address critical health and development issues, including contraceptive technology, HIV, and reproductive health. It is the closest analog to IRH in combining rigorous research with field implementation in family planning and reproductive health globally.
• Guttmacher Institute: Guttmacher Institute is a leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Like IRH, it combines original research, evidence-based analysis, and policy engagement to influence reproductive health programs, though Guttmacher focuses more on policy and less on community-level implementation.

Emerging players

• Population Reference Bureau (PRB): PRB is a research and information organization providing data, analysis, and communications on population, health, and development issues including reproductive health. It is comparable to IRH in producing applied research and analytic resources that inform SRH policy and program design globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/irh_Gu
• Facebookfacebook.com/IRH.Georgetown

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Reproductive Health