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.

The Austrian Family Planning Association (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Familienplanung/OGF) runs 7 help desks in public clinics in Vienna. Two of them are specialized on young people. The Member Association focuses on fertility regulation services – mainly for people with low or no income, young people, migrants and people with disabilities. The organization further operates an online confidential counselling service and the mobile team offers CSE workshops in schools and youth facilities. OGF also offers adult education in SRHR and has for many years produced a 'contraceptive case' and other information materials for the use of physicians, teachers and counsellors.  OGF advocates for SRHR and development cooperation in Austria and internationally – also as secretariat to the Austrian all party parliamentary group on sexual and reproductive health and rights, #parlaandsex. Website: https://oegf.at and https://firstlove.at