FP/RH Program Spotlight
Family Planning/HIV Integration in Kenya
Jhpiego has played a key advocacy role in advancing the Kenya Ministry
of Health’s efforts to integrate family planning services into centers for voluntary
counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV. As a member of the Ministry’s Task Force on
family planning/HIV integration, Jhpiego contributed to the development of the
national strategy for integrating these services. Our work in 20 VCT centers in
Kenya has demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating family planning services
with VCT.
Integration of family planning services into VCT is critically
important to the health and well-being of clients because:
- VCT counselors are already trained in counseling, which
is an essential part of providing family planning services.
- For VCT clients, a desire to prevent pregnancy may be an
additional motivation to use condoms.
- Combining family planning and VCT services at one
location is convenient for clients.
- Many VCT clients want to talk about family planning but
may not have the opportunity during their HIV counseling sessions.
- VCT attracts clients who would like access to family
planning services.
Following an operations research study that demonstrated the
feasibility of integrating family planning into VCT services, Jhpiego’s Kenya office
developed a 2-day, group-based orientation package for training VCT providers in
family planning counseling. The message of the package is: do not miss
opportunities to integrate family planning with VCT! Starting in August 2003,
Jhpiego oriented VCT counselors from nongovernmental, faith-based and community-based
organizations using the package. These counselors then went back to their work
sites and in turn oriented their colleagues. The Ministry of Health has officially
endorsed the orientation package, which is now being used throughout the country
to promote integration of family planning and HIV.
More Information
To read other spotlights, go to Program Spotlights.
For additional resources on family planning and reproductive health, browse
our Information Sheets
and/or go to the FP/RH section of our
Publications Catalog.
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