Who We Are
Why the Name DKT?
DKT International is named after D.K. (Deep) Tyagi, a former assistant commissioner of family planning in India, who played a pivotal role in introducing modern family planning methods to millions. Despite passing at the young age of 41, Mr. Tyagi made a major contribution to his country’s family planning efforts.
Tyagi maintained close ties with his village in Uttar Pradesh, which allowed him to see a basic incongruity between national family planning goals and traditional aspirations of rural Indians. His work did much to bridge this gap. Starting in 1966, when modern contraceptives were virtually unknown in rural India, Tyagi’s massive behavior change program brought awareness about contraception to millions of people. His simple, attractive messages and designs became commonplace throughout the country (including the iconic Red Triangle), overcame societal barriers, and increased understanding of modern contraceptive methods.
Our Mission
Through dynamic social marketing, DKT provides affordable and safe options for contraception, safe abortion, and HIV/AIDS prevention.
DKT works to:
- Increase the availability and affordability of a full spectrum of modern contraceptive methods.
- Strengthen the supply chain to increase availability and improve method mix variety.
- Increase demand and inspire new contraceptive users through advertising and behavior change campaigns.
Our Vision
A world where all children are wanted, the sex is great, and people are free.
DKT works to ensure every individual has access to affordable, high-quality reproductive health products and services, empowering them to make informed choices and lead healthier lives.
Our Values
Treat People the Right Way
We ensure mutual respect in our interactions and recognize the value each individual brings to the organization. We work to eliminate discrimination within the organization and at the programmatic level, own up to our mistakes, and celebrate our differences.
Entrepreneurialism
We channel creativity into our marketing and social enterprises, grounding our practices in a business-minded approach. We value quick execution, accept risk as a price for innovation, and engender individual ownership in decision-making.
Results-Oriented
We aspire to excellence and ‘best-in’ class work. We produce quantifiable results, share our performance transparently, and create feedback loops for learning and improvement.
Anti-Bureaucracy
We build policies and procedures that support healthy organizational growth and avoid bureaucracy that slows down progress.
Deep Trust
We trust our colleagues and teams, fostering a culture of delegation grounded in mutual support and results. We build trust in our vendors, customers, and donors by communicating honestly and upholding our commitments.
Fun
We believe in enjoying our work and fostering a positive environment. Ownership brings joy and growth, while micromanagement hinders it. We encourage respectful, sex-positive dialogue across our work.
Our People
Headquarters Staff
DKT’s lean headquarters staff is based in Washington DC and provides strategic leadership, along with financial and administrative oversight. Most operational and business decisions are made by local country-based teams.
Country Leadership
Our leadership around the world includes business-minded professionals, highly skilled in social marketing, sales, and sustainable development.
Board of Directors
DKT’s board reflects our entrepreneurial approach and commitment to reproductive justice. Learn more about DKT’s Board of Directors. Read the Board’s policy statement outlining DKT’s guiding principles.
Our Affiliates
Our Affiliates
DKT is a global organization that combines the social change ideals of a nonprofit organization with the revenue-generating entrepreneurialism of a social enterprise.
DKT WomanCare is a leading supplier of reproductive health products, marketing and distributing Levoplant contraceptive implants, Ipas manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) technology, contraceptive injections, emergency contraceptive pills, oral contraception, intrauterine devices, and medical abortion pills across 90 countries. DKT WomanCare is the legal manufacturer of the Ipas MVA kit technology and works closely with global procurement agencies, governments, NGO partners, and commercial distributors to expand access to high-quality reproductive health products.
Women First Digital (WFD) transforms how sexual and reproductive healthcare is designed, delivered and accessed worldwide. Our digital solutions, available in multiple languages, support equitable and accessible pathways for self-managed abortion and contraception, overcoming cost, stigma and distance to put power and choice in people’s hands.
carafem provides compassionate abortion care through personalized in-office and telehealth services, including abortion pills by mail. carafem’s medically-supported 24/7 virtual care companion, Cara, guides clients through each step of their at-home abortion process, answering questions and providing helpful reminders any time of day.
Our History
In 1989 Harvey founded Population Planning Associates, but changed the name to DKT International in 1994. Despite the name change, DKT’s mission has always been to leverage the power of social marketing to increase access to contraception and HIV/AIDS prevention. DKT grew from humble beginnings selling condoms in Ethiopia and the Philippines to today serving over 100 countries with a wide portfolio of contraceptive and safe abortion products.
DKT makes its first sales: condoms hit the shelves in Ethiopia and the Philippines, selling an estimated 5 million units in the first year.
DKT expands its product line beyond condoms, selling oral contraception in India and the Philippines. Over the next 30 years, the DKT portfolio broadens to include products such as implants, injectables, IUDs, and female condoms—keeping pace with innovation and trends in the global market.
DKT changed its name from Population Planning Associates to DKT International in honor of D.K. (Deep) Tyagi, who served as assistant commissioner of Family Planning for the Government of India. Mr. Tyagi was the architect of an extensive communication and behavior change program that introduced modern methods of contraception to hundreds of millions of Indians and was a personal friend of DKT’s founder, Phil Harvey.
Revenue generated by DKT's product sales exceeds total donor funds received for the first time, giving DKT increased flexibility and control over its operations. Today, DKT is 82% financially self-sustainable, with the goal of reaching 90% sustainability by 2030.
Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) kits are sold in Indonesia, with sales expanding to Sudan and Ethiopia over the next two years. In 2008, DKT began selling medical abortion (MA) pills in several markets and now provides medical abortion in nearly all of its markets. DKT also provides digital and professional resources for clients and providers seeking more information about both MA and MVA technology.
DKT calculates the cost for donors to produce one Couple Year of Protection (CYP), a metric used in family planning programs representing the amount of contraception one couple needs to prevent pregnancy over a one-year period. The lower the cost to produce one CYP, the more impact DKT can demonstrate. Lower costs per CYP also represent increased efficiency within the organization. In 2012, DKT’s cost per CYP was $1.86. Today our Cost per CYP is below $1.
Phil Harvey retires and Christopher Purdy becomes the CEO of DKT International in 2014 after serving as country director for DKT programs in Turkey, Ethiopia, and Indonesia from 1996-2011 and Executive Vice President from 2011 to 2013. Purdy has become an influential leader in the sexual and reproductive health field.
carafem, a network of reproductive health centers in the USA is founded. In addition to its physical clinics in Maryland, Illinois, and Georgia, carafem offers telehealth appointments in many states.
DKT further expands its network by founding WomenFirst Digital (WFD), which leverages technology to revolutionize sexual and reproductive healthcare. WomenFirst Digital runs three eHealth platforms—safe2choose, HowTo Use, and FindMyMethod—providing accurate information on contraception and safe abortion methods, referrals to local clinics, and stigma-free counseling.
DKT acquires WomanCare Global, becoming DKT WomanCare. The organization leverages a network of private-sector providers, governments, and bilateral partners to distribute sexual and reproductive health products in more than 90 countries with an emphasis on accessibility, availability, and affordability. DKT Woman Care is the manufacturer on record and global distributor of the Ipas manual vacuum aspirator (MVA), a safe and effective medical device used for miscarriage management, abortion, and post-abortion care.
Global sales hit a new milestone: DKT sells over 1 billion condoms worldwide in 1 year.
DKT International generated more than 67 million CYPs in 2025 and achieved an 83 percent sustainability ratio. This figure, which quantifies the percentage of expenses covered by sales revenue, indicates DKT's commitment to self-financing and growth. Donor revenue is still highly sought-after for supporting DKT's efforts to reach remote communities, promote health equity, and support underserved populations.
We are inching closer to our organizational goal of 90% sustainability by 2030. DKT aims to generate 400 million non-abortion CYPs globally and invest $1 billion of our discretionary resources and sales revenues into product procurement between 2021 and 2030.
Our Founder: Phil Harvey (1938-2021)
DKT’s founder Phil Harvey (1938-2021) was a pioneer in the field of contraceptive social marketing whose ideas revolutionized the global reproductive health landscape. Harvey’s approach to sexual and reproductive health focused on applying social marketing to sell modern methods of contraception in the private sector. The aim was to use traditional advertising to inspire individuals with moderate amounts of disposable income to use their own money to purchase contraception from the private sector. Not only was the belief that if people paid for a product they were more likely to use it, but strengthening demand for products provided in the private sector would free up resources for the public sector to support those in greatest need.
During his lifetime, Harvey founded three of the world’s largest sexual and reproductive health organizations (including DKT) and served on the DKT board until his death in late 2021. His vision to “let every child be wanted” remains central to DKT International’s organizational DNA.
Partner With Us
Support DKT's Mission
Join Our Team
DKT International is an inclusive team of marketing, sales and technical specialists united by a shared goal: to empower individuals everywhere to lead healthier lives. Search our openings and apply today.
Become a Partner
We are committed to building collaborative relationships with private sector businesses, NGOs, governments, academia, and foundations to expand reproductive health access around the world.
