Member Associations

Guinea-Bissau is one tenth the size of its neighbour Guinea-Conakry, but its people suffer equally distressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems. The Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar was established in 1993 to address the major issue in family planning: equipping couples to make active, informed choices about the number of children they would have, and when they would have them.   Since then, the Member Association’s work has expanded to embrace a full range of SRH concerns. It provides young people with information, education and communication (IEC) and behaviour change communication (BCC) around sexual and reproductive health; it works on the prevention, diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) includind HIV; it provides post-abortion care and support; it provides care for victims of gender-based violence (GBV); and it advocates strongly at government level for legislation to prevent GBV. Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar achieved these results through a small but committed team that operate over hundred service points, including static clinics and community-based service points. Despite the relatively small size of the organization, it is growing rapidly with strong central support from IPPF, influential government partnerships, and backing from non-governmental organizations including UNFPA.

Pro familia advocates for the rights to individual self-determination in sexuality and family planning and is committed nationally and internationally to sexual and reproductive health and rights. For pro familia, sexual and reproductive rights and health rank among human rights. pro familia is the leading professional association on sexuality and partnership in Germany. With information and counselling services, pro familia wants to contribute to women, men and young people being able to live their sexuality and sexual orientation in a self-determined way, to parenthood being a free decision and to a satisfying sexual life without fear of unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and to people being able to participate in scientific progress. The services offered in the 180 counselling centres nationwide include counselling, information and age-appropriate sex education on partnership, sexuality, sexual orientation, contraception, pregnancy, family, unfulfilled desire to have children and reproductive medicine, prenatal diagnostics, birth, financial support, unwanted pregnancy as well as separation and divorce. Pro familia publishes information brochures for clients and specialist publications for doctors, counsellors and educators, organises specialist conferences, lobbies for sexual and reproductive health and rights and offers a wide range of further and advanced training. In the field of sexual education, it is committed to human rights education.