Family planning care is being delivered by trained primary health care providers, without discrimination.
AchievementsRoma community members, local NGOs, community nurses and health mediators have integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights issues – a new area for many - into their work and activities.
They have promoted healthcare services, and referred and accompanied women and girls to them.
For example, in Serbia, health mediators increased access to care by accompanying small groups of five women and girls to a local primary health care centre.
Meanwhile, service providers in primary health care clinics across the country have been formally trained on how to provide non-discriminatory contraceptive counselling and services.
In many cases, local actors and doctors have worked together for the first time. Doctors have been successfully encouraged to visit local communities to provide care, counselling and relationship and sexuality education (RSE), and our partners have reported an increase in trust among community members towards the doctors who visited their neighbourhoods.
Primary health care centres and family planning doctors in Bulgaria and Serbia have reported an increase in visits by Roma women and girls.
Read testimonials«I noticed that the health facility in Palilula was providing more information on sexual and reproductive healthcare and emotional support for those who wanted it… A lot of Roma women are now more interested in visiting a gynaecologist… I saw that the doctors changed their approach in working with the Roma population; they became more patient and open to communication and had less discriminatory attitudes.»
Belgrade, Serbia
«I went to the house of a health mediator. She invited around 16 young girls and women with children. They were sceptical at first, but… I proved to them that I was there to talk about their problems. So, it was a discussion that lasted 3 hours and I explained about contraceptive methods, their advantages and disadvantages. Then each one of them told me her story and problems, eventually coming to the family planning office to solve them. If people know you, they trust to come to you.»
Ploiești, Romania
IPPF European Network is one of the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s six regional networks. IPPF EN works in over 40 countries across Europe and Central Asia to empower everyone, especially the most socially excluded, to live with dignity and to have access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Learn moreAddress: 55, Rue Royale
1000 Brussels,
Belgium
Phone: +32 (0)2 250 0950
Email: eninfo@ippf.org