RESIDENTS of St Thomas and its environs have been benefiting from training received in long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) by community health aides, public health nurses, and midwives.

The training officer at the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) reported that the entity hosted the workshops in response to a need to improve sexual reproductive health service delivery to adolescents and youth by the health-care workers. Trainers introduced participants to LARC, and the opportunity was taken to highlight the barriers to adolescents accessing LARC and how to talk with adolescents and youth about LARC.

Both classified as LARC methods, the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) and implant are aides that help women meet their sexual and reproductive health needs. Depending on their method choice, female acceptors can take advantage of between five and eight years of protection from pregnancy.

Common to the client’s decision-making of whether to consider the contraceptive is availing themselves of information on what is available. The basic information that they require about LARC, including the reasons why these methods are a perfect fit, rests with the health provider.

Trainers underscored that with only a matter of minutes available to engage with the client, mastery of the counselling approach to effectively communicate about the IUCD and implant was important. Considering that both methods require highly trained medical personnel to perform the insertions, some of the workshop participants will be required to refer the client to be fitted with the contraceptive device.

Contributed by Dianne Thomas, director, communication and public relations, National Family Planning Board.