Jennifer Diaz is a 20-year-old woman who moved back in with her parents after her partner abandoned her with their child. Jennifer told Red Segura that she hadn’t used family planning before because she was afraid of the way she would be perceived by health center staff as a young person seeking family planning. Jennifer also mentioned that her fear came from all the negative information she’d heard about family planning. Jennifer’s fears were alleviated when she participated in an educational talk with a Red Segura health worker in Almirante, where she was able to get her questions answered. She decided to visit the Red Segura clinic and was able to receive quality services from a caring team, who provided the method of her choice. “Now I can continue my studies and become a teacher, which is what I want most,” she said with a hopeful look on her face. She noted that family planning is like “creating a life plan for the future.”
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- EL SALVADOR
- HONDURAS
- NICARAGUA
- ZIMBABWE
- JENNIFER’S STORY
- NICOLE’S STORY
Nicole, an unemployed, 18-year-old single mother who lives in Santo Domingo, is waiting until her son is older to have another child so she can provide a good life for herself, her son and her future family. Initially Nicole sought family planning services in the local public center but they did not have the method she wanted, and without health insurance she couldn’t access services through the private sector because of the high costs. However, through the PRJKT RUBY Fund and the Red Segura clinic operated by PSI’s independent network member in Latin America, Society for Family Health, Nicole was able to receive comprehensive family planning counseling as well as the method best suited to her needs, at no cost.
- ISAURA’S STORY
20-year-old Isaura has lived with her partner for the past 6 months and was concerned about family planning, because of all the negative information she’d heard. Recently Isaura was referred to the Red Segura clinic in Santo Domingo where she received quality care and timely information about the importance of family planning, dispelling any myths she had. With support from PRJKT Ruby, Isaura realized that to realize her dream of becoming a lawyer it’s necessary to plan her life and said: “Planning means not having children before I’m ready. It’s preparing myself to give my children the best life in the future.”
- CORAIMA’S STORY
Coraima Elizabeth Jiménez is a 22 year old woman who has an 8 month old girl. Previously she was unable to do any family planning because of the lack of economic resources. She was contacted by a representative from Clinicas Medicas Red Segura and immediately visited the center to plan with a method that would serve in the long-run, because she understood that she could not have any more children right now. She aspires to attend university and finish her career, and has thus asserted that “To plan oneself, is to plan life”.
- HAZEL’S STORY
Hazel is the young mother of a one-year-old girl in El Salvador. While attending her “I Am Not Ready to be a Mother” support group in the Sacacoyo municipality, she learned that she could access a long-term contraceptive method. Hazel asserts that she chose the method because she knows that she is not prepared to be a mother again. Although she is a little nervous, Hazel is confident that it will be worth it.
Hazel says, “I want to thank you for treating me so well and I will invite others to come as well. I know that my life will change because this method is very effective and I will feel secure. I want my daughter to continue moving forward and to give her the best life that I can- for that reason I want to work and give her everything that she needs.”
- LOUISE’S STORY
“I want to plan with the IUD but I am afraid”
Louise* is a 30-year-old mother of two children, she did not know which family planning method to choose being that she had never used one before. She is the oldest of three sisters, her two sisters are IUD users.
Louise had many fears regarding this method but one of her sisters had the IUD insertion done in our Medical Clinics Red Segura, she told Louise of the good care and warmth with which they treated her and thus Louise decided to visit our facilities.
Louise: “When I arrived at the clinic I felt great, they greeted me with a smile. When I went into the counseling I still had many fears but as the counselor explained to me the IUD all those doubts were cleared up, I felt more confident about the insertion process. During the placement, I had a little bit of fear but the doctor was very professional and helped me relax. I am very happy with my choice and I am grateful to Clínicas Medicas Red Segura for the special service they provide.”
Louise is currently satisfied with her method and has not had any complications, she thanks Clínicas Medicas Red Segura for speaking to her and providing her the information she needed to calm all her fears. She is now able to recommend this method and the quality care at Clínicas Medicas Red Segura.
*name changed at request of participant
- XIOMARA’S STORY
Xiomara, 35-years-old, originally from the region of San Pablo María de Tasua, Jinotega department, has 3 children. She had her first child at the young age of fifteen and since then she had to work to support her family.
Xiomara’s income does not allow her to pay for a family planning method that is safe and friendly to her body. She used quarterly injectable contraception, but it was causing her many side effects, which is why she decided to seek help and to change her method.
“I do not know much about that thing “IUD” but I have been told that it is good and has no hormones. I’m afraid because they say it is inserted, but I do not want to continue giving birth. My employer is very good and has allowed me to take my kids to where I work but told me to be careful not have another pregnancy and to come here Clínicas Médicas Red Segura so that I do not continue to make things harder for myself.”
Xiomara visits the Red Segura Medical Clinic where she receives counseling on the different contraceptive methods and the opportunity to adopt a new method. Through counseling Lic. Blanca Carrillo and Xiomara agreed on the IUD T 380 Cu.
“I want the copper T because it has no hormones. I do not want any more kids because it is not in my budget and I do not want to get sick anymore because of side effects.”
- TATENDA’S STORY
Tatenda (not her real name), a 33-year-old unemployed mother of 2 from a disadvantaged part of Harare accessed PSI Zimbabwe’s New Start services at an outreach activity conducted at a World Albinism Day commemoration event. At this event, New Start was offering an integrated package of services that included Family Planning (FP), Cervical Cancer Screening and HIV Testing Services (HTS). Attendees of the event were presented with a menu of services. Tatenda decided to access cervical cancer screening. During the counselling session for cervical cancer screening, the nurse counsellor also discussed contraception with her. Tatenda expressed she was on oral contraception, but not satisfied with the results as she became pregnant with her youngest child because she was irregular with taking her pills. The nurse counsellor showed Tatenda all the FP methods that were available, and she opted for the Intra-Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD). Tatenda was then screened for cervical cancer and had an IUCD inserted. She also was tested for HIV. Tatenda left the outreach event excited about having received a more effective FP method.