Sexual & Reproductive Health

Investing in sexual and reproductive health services is associated with numerous health, social, and economic benefits. For example, it can significantly enhance maternal and child health outcomes, empower couples to make informed economic and health-related decisions about their futures, and lead to substantial reductions in unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths.

A Summary of the Challenge in Numbers

Kenya

Uganda

Burkina Faso

*Unmet need for family planning is defined as the proportion of women who want to stop or delay childbearing but are not using family planning.

Our Response & Impact

To help couples plan and space their pregnancies, the community health workers (CHWs) we support provide comprehensive family planning education and contraceptives. Living Goods piloted family planning services in Uganda in 2017, scaling it fully across our operations by 2022.

CHWs provide women with informed choice and access to a range of contraceptives including condoms, birth control pills, and the 3-month injectable Sayana Press. CHWs also provide referrals to the health facility for longer-term and permanent methods.

Whilst we have seen positive results in reducing the unmet need and increasing modern contraceptive prevalence, we are working closely with health facilities and partners like MSI Reproductive Choices to promote collaboration and further address gaps in family planning programming.

A 2021 evaluation found that Living Goods-supported CHWs in Uganda achieved a 36% reduction in unmet family planning needs, outperforming the 26% reduction in the control group.

The power of partner involvement in family planning

Male Engagement & Shared Decision-Making

In many of the communities we serve, family planning has traditionally been perceived as solely a woman’s responsibility, often limiting male involvement. Living Goods is working to reshape this narrative, advocating for shared decision-making in family planning. This approach ensures innovative, culturally aligned solutions and opens doors for greater male involvement.

For example, while 90% of men in Seme, Kisumu, Kenya, are aware of modern family planning methods, only a few are involved in making decisions regarding use, often due to concerns about side effects, fueled by myths and misinformation. However, 83% of these men are eager to learn more, signaling a strong demand for education in safe, open spaces.

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