Training of Roma Health Mediators in Reproductive Health

‣ How do women in your community decide when it is necessary to go see a family doctor?
What are some situations or conditions in which they would go see a family doctor?
• When they are sick or injured
• When they suffer an accident
• When they are pregnant
• When they need a medical leave certificate or an act for social service (for getting
unemployment social support)
Explain that in terms of reproductive health:
• Most often women are not injured nor severely ill although they may become severely ill if
they do not care for their health properly or seek appropriate services in a timely manner.
• The decision to adopt certain practices and/or to use certain health services is a very
personal one.
• The ways in which we talk with women about reproductive health influences our
effectiveness in helping them to make and implement decisions which will improve their
health.
Post the flip chart Communication for Behavior Change. Ask volunteers to read it. Ask the group:
‣ What is the difference between 1) communication aimed at helping women to change their
behavior, and 2) advice?
‣ What messages do communication for behavior change, and advice, “communicate” to
women?
Communication for behavior change (in the context of the activities of Roma Health Mediators):
Face-to-face or group communication in which the mediator helps a woman (or women) to better
understand her/their problems, situations and/or feelings, and to identify and apply solutions that
are appropriate to her/their situation/s. The mediator does this by:
• Introducing a reproductive health topic that she thinks will be important/relevant to the
woman/group; or asking questions about the woman’s/women’s health concerns
• Asking open questions that help the woman/women assess her/their situation, consider
her/their options, and identify and apply solutions
• Providing information to assist the woman/women to better understand her/their situation
and to consider options so that she/they can make her/their own decisions and then act on
them.
Communication for behavior change generally communicates the message: “The problem and
decision are yours and I have confidence that you are capable of resolving the problem by making
the decision that is best for you.”
Advice: Face-to-face or group communication in which the mediator tries to solve woman’s/
women’s problem/s, identify her/their solution and/or make the woman’s/women’s decisions by
giving her opinion and/or proposing the solution to the woman/women.
Advice generally communicates the message: "You are not capable of resolving this so I will have
to do it for you". It makes the woman/women dependent on the mediator.
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RFHI/JSI Romania Training of RHMs in Reproductive Health Session 13: BCC