Providing Reproductive Health Services to Young Married Women and First-time Parents in West Africa

Young married women and first-time parents (FTPs) face a unique set of challenges to living healthy sexual and reproductive lives. This training aims to give health care providers the knowledge and skills they need to meet the needs of these groups. It is designed for use in francophone West Africa, where a significant proportion of adolescent girls aged 15–19 and young women aged 20–24 are married or living in union, but it can easily be adapted for other settings.

This is a one-day training intended for facility-based health care providers (e.g., doctors, nurses, midwives) who have already received training in adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH). Alternatively, it could be integrated into a broader AYSRH training.

The module covers topics including healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP), nonjudgmental counseling for young married women and FTPs, and the particular challenges and pressures concerning childbearing faced by young married women and FTPs. The training consists of trainer presentations (slides included) and participatory small and large group activities.

Last modified: March 25, 2019

Language: English