Training of Roma Health Mediators in Reproductive Health

Trainer document
FAMILY PLANNING
Definition:
Family planning means that a person or couple decides freely the number of children they
want and when they want to have them, at the right time and the right interval between
births for them. It is the right of a couple to have children by choice and not by chance.
Objectives:
The main objectives of family planning are:
Child spacing to enable individuals or couples to space their pregnancies/births
according to their wishes
Limiting family size – to enable individuals or couples to limit the number of children
they have according to their wishes.
Ensure informed choice and correct use of contraceptives– to ensure that individuals
or couples interested in family planning are able to choose family planning methods, and
use them correctly, based on accurate and adequate information
Treatment and prevention of infertility – to prevent infertility by 1) counseling
individuals/couples about the causes, symptoms and consequences of sexually
transmitted infections, and 2) diagnosing and treating STIs in clients as necessary.
Basic principles:
Voluntarism – every person has the right to make decisions by him/herself without any
force or violence (to choose if he/she wants to use family planning); no one has the right
to force a person to use family planning nor to impose the method to be used.
Informed choice – every person has the right to choose a method based on correct and
adequate information about all available methods.
Protection against STIs/HIV –when a person chooses a method, it is important to know
if the method provides any protection against STIs/HIV.
Diversity – all settings/providers must have an adequate number of types of
contraceptive methods to allow the clients to choose methods that are convenient for
them.
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RFHI/JSI Romania Training of RHMs in Reproductive Health Session 2: Basic Principles of RH & FP