Spotlight
A selection of stories from across the Federation
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Advances in Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health: 2024 in Review
Let’s take a leap back in time to the beginning of 2024: In twelve months, what victories has our movement managed to secure in the face of growing opposition and the rise of the far right? These victories for sexual and reproductive rights and health are the result of relentless grassroots work and advocacy by our Member Associations, in partnership with community organizations, allied politicians, and the mobilization of public opinion.
Most Popular This Week
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Advances in Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health: 2024 in Review
Let’s take a leap back in time to the beginning of 2024: In twelve months, what victories has our movement managed to secure in t
Kazakhstan
Story
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Kazakhstan's Rising HIV Crisis: A Call for Action
On World AIDS Day, we commemorate the remarkable achievements of IPPF Member Associations in their unwavering commitment to combating the HIV epidemic.
Story
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Ensuring SRHR in Humanitarian Crises: What You Need to Know
Over the past two decades, global forced displacement has consistently increased, affecting an estimated 114 million people as of mid-2023.
Estonia, Nepal, Namibia, Japan, Thailand
Story
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The Rainbow Wave for Marriage Equality
Love wins! The fight for marriage equality has seen incredible progress worldwide, with a recent surge in legalizations.
France, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, United States, Colombia, India, Tunisia
Story
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Abortion Rights: Latest Decisions and Developments around the World
Over the past 30 years, more than
Palestine
Story
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In their own words: The people providing sexual and reproductive health care under bombardment in Gaza
Week after week, heavy Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea, has continued across most of the Gaza Strip.
Vanuatu
Story
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When getting to the hospital is difficult, Vanuatu mobile outreach can save lives
In the mountains of Kumera on Tanna Island, Vanuatu, the village women of Kamahaul normally spend over 10,000 Vatu ($83 USD) to travel to the nearest hospital.
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story
| 08 October 2020
"In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods"
“I've heard kids yelling on the street that there was a program to space pregnancies. I've always wanted to do that for the long term. Until then, I'm still trying with the three-month-old pills. Besides, listening to one of the people advertising these services, the address was not very far from my home." Claudine, aged 27, is a sex worker. "In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods. But once I tried them and I didn't notice any negative impact on my body, I made it a habit in order to not get pregnant". Like all young girls interested in the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (Lot 1) programme services, Claudine arrives shyly at the center where Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial-Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND) distributes contraceptive methods. "When I arrived at the center, I thought that there would be no paperwork to do, but I was pleasantly surprised that the organizers want to find out about me and maybe one day they will be able to set up a health centre to follow us regularly," she hopes. In the DRC, few women raise the subject of sexual violence because they are afraid of being rejected and that "poverty sometimes leads us into sex work," she says. "But the consequences are enormous and sometimes harmful. Girls who are not sensitized will have unsafe abortions and catch sexually transmitted infections." Claudine has expectations and hopes regarding this kind of activity: "However, if awareness-raising is regulated, even every three months, we will, I think, have fewer young mothers because they will be more knowledgable about family planning". The WISH project has seen a positive change in women and girls' access to integrated family planning and sexual and reproductive health care. WISH promotes a variety of contraceptive methods and sexual and reproductive health support, ranging from referrals to services for those who need it most. "I want to feel free in my sexual activities". I have a boyfriend but that doesn't stop me from doing my life. "I make my livelihood as a sex worker and he is a carpenter. That's how we've been trying to make ends meet since we moved to the capital two years ago." "We're going back to the village to take a break, it's not a permanent departure." Claudine and her boyfriend are both from Boende, the capital of the Tshuapa province, in the north-west of the country, 2,285 km from Kinshasa. She was encouraged to move to the capital at the insistence of one of her uncles who had been living there for several years. "The reality is quite different. We have been able to raise enough money to send goods to the village for the past two years. My companion and I will go back there to rest and maybe come back if we get bored in the village again.” “Pakadjuma is a place where almost everyone comes from the village, but it is only here that I see enough interest from associations to sensitize young girls on family planning by distributing condoms to prevent early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It's all very interesting. It's an opportunity for us and I think it's one of the things I'll miss the most when I go back to the village. I hope to still have friends here who can send me these methods.”
story
| 16 May 2025
"In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods"
“I've heard kids yelling on the street that there was a program to space pregnancies. I've always wanted to do that for the long term. Until then, I'm still trying with the three-month-old pills. Besides, listening to one of the people advertising these services, the address was not very far from my home." Claudine, aged 27, is a sex worker. "In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods. But once I tried them and I didn't notice any negative impact on my body, I made it a habit in order to not get pregnant". Like all young girls interested in the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (Lot 1) programme services, Claudine arrives shyly at the center where Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial-Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND) distributes contraceptive methods. "When I arrived at the center, I thought that there would be no paperwork to do, but I was pleasantly surprised that the organizers want to find out about me and maybe one day they will be able to set up a health centre to follow us regularly," she hopes. In the DRC, few women raise the subject of sexual violence because they are afraid of being rejected and that "poverty sometimes leads us into sex work," she says. "But the consequences are enormous and sometimes harmful. Girls who are not sensitized will have unsafe abortions and catch sexually transmitted infections." Claudine has expectations and hopes regarding this kind of activity: "However, if awareness-raising is regulated, even every three months, we will, I think, have fewer young mothers because they will be more knowledgable about family planning". The WISH project has seen a positive change in women and girls' access to integrated family planning and sexual and reproductive health care. WISH promotes a variety of contraceptive methods and sexual and reproductive health support, ranging from referrals to services for those who need it most. "I want to feel free in my sexual activities". I have a boyfriend but that doesn't stop me from doing my life. "I make my livelihood as a sex worker and he is a carpenter. That's how we've been trying to make ends meet since we moved to the capital two years ago." "We're going back to the village to take a break, it's not a permanent departure." Claudine and her boyfriend are both from Boende, the capital of the Tshuapa province, in the north-west of the country, 2,285 km from Kinshasa. She was encouraged to move to the capital at the insistence of one of her uncles who had been living there for several years. "The reality is quite different. We have been able to raise enough money to send goods to the village for the past two years. My companion and I will go back there to rest and maybe come back if we get bored in the village again.” “Pakadjuma is a place where almost everyone comes from the village, but it is only here that I see enough interest from associations to sensitize young girls on family planning by distributing condoms to prevent early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It's all very interesting. It's an opportunity for us and I think it's one of the things I'll miss the most when I go back to the village. I hope to still have friends here who can send me these methods.”
story
| 08 October 2020
"Right now, the most important thing is to continue my studies and take care of my child"
After her parents divorced, the family dissolved and Ruth found herself in Pakadjuma where she rented a small house. "My boyfriend helps me pay the rent," she says. She thought she would continue with school but could not afford it. After a few years of a relationship, Ruth became pregnant, and explain that "it was late to get an abortion, and I didn't want to put my life in danger." "I would have liked to get my bachelor's degree, but I don't regret it; I loved my child right away." Ruth, aged 19, like other young girls, queues up to learn about the different contraceptive methods the WISH programme offers for girls and women living in Pakadjuma. Some of them sign up directly to take them. Others find out and promise to come back after talking with their companions. The Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH Lot 1) programme offers quality integrated sexual and reproductive health services across the Democratic Republic of Congo through IPPF Member, Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial – Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND). Ruth is trying the service for the first time. She is in favour of receiving a contraceptive method for the next three months. "Some people have discouraged me because they believe that the 5-year method can destroy the body. But before deciding to come here, I asked around with the neighbours who have already tried it. I didn't have any negative experiences." Ruth asked the organizers about the consequences: "They said it's just to protect me so that I don't get pregnant for 3 months and then I can renew if I feel like it.” Ruth feels that many parents do not discuss sexual matters with their children. They probably feel it is inappropriate. Yet, if young girls get pregnant before they are socially stable, it is also due to a lack of guidance and orientation. "This should be a regular initiative," she says. "It's not late to receive sex education but above all to have free contraceptive methods, because I would have preferred a thousand times to buy milk for my baby than to pay for a condom or a Jadelle. Ruth has an 8-month-old baby, "I didn't want this and having many children will be disadvantageous for me especially as I am not yet married". She lives from small businesses and the money to support from her companion. Ruth says she took this contraceptive method without her partner's advice. "Since the birth of our child, we have been abstinent, and that's good. "He encourages me to go back to school, and I think that's what I should do.”
story
| 16 May 2025
"Right now, the most important thing is to continue my studies and take care of my child"
After her parents divorced, the family dissolved and Ruth found herself in Pakadjuma where she rented a small house. "My boyfriend helps me pay the rent," she says. She thought she would continue with school but could not afford it. After a few years of a relationship, Ruth became pregnant, and explain that "it was late to get an abortion, and I didn't want to put my life in danger." "I would have liked to get my bachelor's degree, but I don't regret it; I loved my child right away." Ruth, aged 19, like other young girls, queues up to learn about the different contraceptive methods the WISH programme offers for girls and women living in Pakadjuma. Some of them sign up directly to take them. Others find out and promise to come back after talking with their companions. The Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH Lot 1) programme offers quality integrated sexual and reproductive health services across the Democratic Republic of Congo through IPPF Member, Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial – Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND). Ruth is trying the service for the first time. She is in favour of receiving a contraceptive method for the next three months. "Some people have discouraged me because they believe that the 5-year method can destroy the body. But before deciding to come here, I asked around with the neighbours who have already tried it. I didn't have any negative experiences." Ruth asked the organizers about the consequences: "They said it's just to protect me so that I don't get pregnant for 3 months and then I can renew if I feel like it.” Ruth feels that many parents do not discuss sexual matters with their children. They probably feel it is inappropriate. Yet, if young girls get pregnant before they are socially stable, it is also due to a lack of guidance and orientation. "This should be a regular initiative," she says. "It's not late to receive sex education but above all to have free contraceptive methods, because I would have preferred a thousand times to buy milk for my baby than to pay for a condom or a Jadelle. Ruth has an 8-month-old baby, "I didn't want this and having many children will be disadvantageous for me especially as I am not yet married". She lives from small businesses and the money to support from her companion. Ruth says she took this contraceptive method without her partner's advice. "Since the birth of our child, we have been abstinent, and that's good. "He encourages me to go back to school, and I think that's what I should do.”
story
| 24 July 2018
“I feel comfortable here”
19-year-old Joseph Ikatlholeng attends the Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) clinic in Gaborone every three months to receive antiretroviral treatment for HIV. He’s currently at university, studying for a degree in transport and logistics. “I hope to start my own transport business, maybe in the future an airline,” he says, laughing at the grandeur of his dreams. Joseph first came to BOFWA when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex in March 2017. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment, but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Feeling safe is important to Joseph, who regularly faces discrimination as a man who has sex with other men. “Last week I was walking along, and these guys came past in the car shouting “gay, gay, gay.” I experience that treatment a lot.” Now, he and some LGBTI friends in Botswana are trying to work with their community to change the status quo about LGBTI people in the country. “We’re trying to tell the elders that we are here, we’re trying to change perceptions that LGBTI people are not just on drugs and having sex,” he says.
story
| 16 May 2025
“I feel comfortable here”
19-year-old Joseph Ikatlholeng attends the Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) clinic in Gaborone every three months to receive antiretroviral treatment for HIV. He’s currently at university, studying for a degree in transport and logistics. “I hope to start my own transport business, maybe in the future an airline,” he says, laughing at the grandeur of his dreams. Joseph first came to BOFWA when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex in March 2017. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment, but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Feeling safe is important to Joseph, who regularly faces discrimination as a man who has sex with other men. “Last week I was walking along, and these guys came past in the car shouting “gay, gay, gay.” I experience that treatment a lot.” Now, he and some LGBTI friends in Botswana are trying to work with their community to change the status quo about LGBTI people in the country. “We’re trying to tell the elders that we are here, we’re trying to change perceptions that LGBTI people are not just on drugs and having sex,” he says.
story
| 24 July 2018
“We were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics”
“I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie Selelo, 34, sitting in one of the temporary office buildings at the Nkaikela Youth Group in Gaborone. With the support of BOFWA nurses, the Nkaikela Youth Group provides a range of sexual health care to sex workers: “They need health services for STIs, smear tests, HIV tests, and to be enrolling onto antiretroviral treatment for HIV,” Jackie explains. Female sex workers are in a particularly high-risk group for contracting HIV – the prevalence rate is 61.9% among the community – so having access to testing and treatment is vital. However, Jackie says many women don’t feel safe going to the government clinic. “They don’t accept us. It’s like we’re doing this because we want to, and just bringing disease. We’re not comfortable there and so sex workers are not [being tested and treated] in large numbers. Before BOFWA we were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics.” The difference between being treated by the staff at BOFWA is huge, according to Jackie. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” She’s concerned that if funding continues to be cut, BOFWA nurses will stop coming to the Youth Group completely. “If they stop it will be difficult for us. We will die, we will be infected,” she says.
story
| 16 May 2025
“We were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics”
“I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie Selelo, 34, sitting in one of the temporary office buildings at the Nkaikela Youth Group in Gaborone. With the support of BOFWA nurses, the Nkaikela Youth Group provides a range of sexual health care to sex workers: “They need health services for STIs, smear tests, HIV tests, and to be enrolling onto antiretroviral treatment for HIV,” Jackie explains. Female sex workers are in a particularly high-risk group for contracting HIV – the prevalence rate is 61.9% among the community – so having access to testing and treatment is vital. However, Jackie says many women don’t feel safe going to the government clinic. “They don’t accept us. It’s like we’re doing this because we want to, and just bringing disease. We’re not comfortable there and so sex workers are not [being tested and treated] in large numbers. Before BOFWA we were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics.” The difference between being treated by the staff at BOFWA is huge, according to Jackie. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” She’s concerned that if funding continues to be cut, BOFWA nurses will stop coming to the Youth Group completely. “If they stop it will be difficult for us. We will die, we will be infected,” she says.
story
| 18 July 2018
In pictures: Vital HIV care for local communities in Botswana forced to stop
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"I suspect I contracted HIV from my sex work. There were times I had to engage in risky sex, depending on the money on the table." Gabatswane used to go to the BOFWA clinic in Selebi Phikwe for treatment. “I enjoyed the confidentiality that they had there, compared to the government [clinic] where everyone knows everything. It was comfortable talking to the BOFWA providers.” Due to the Global Gag Rule’s funding cuts, the BOFWA clinic has been forced to close. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Goabaone, sex worker & peer outreach worker "I've been a female sex worker for 5 years and a peer outreach worker for the last two. I was looking at the problems that us sex workers encounter, and thought that this peer outreach system might be able to help,” says Goabaone, explaining how she came to work with MCDA. Since the Global Gag Rule funding cuts the scheme has ended, and she now has to refer them to the government clinic. BOFWA was different: “At BOFWA we felt free, there is no stigma. They didn’t ask [how you got the infection], they just treated you every time,” Goabaone says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Jackie, sex worker & peer outreach worker “I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie, 34. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” Read Jackie's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Joseph, university student Joseph, 19, first came to BOFWA in 2017 when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Read Joseph's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Keanantswe, BOFWA client A few months after beginning her HIV treatment the BOFWA clinic was forced to close due to the Global Gag Rule funding cuts. “In April I received a call from my nurse telling me the clinic is being closed. She gave me tablets for two months up to June 2018. She told me I will get transferred to a government clinic," Keanantswe says. Although getting treatment is now much harder for her, she has to continue going every month or risks getting sick and even dying. “We have lost so much without BOFWA, not only me, but many women. I wish it would open again,” she says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
story
| 16 May 2025
In pictures: Vital HIV care for local communities in Botswana forced to stop
.image-section { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 25% 75%; grid-gap: 60px; overflow: hidden; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom:70px; } .img-caption { border-bottom: 5px #00a4e4 solid; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-bottom:30px; } .img-caption p { margin-bottom:30px; } ul.img-section-social{ list-style: none; padding: 0; margin: 0; } .img-section-social li{ padding: 0; margin: 0; float:left; } .img-section-social .twitter a,.img-section-social .facebook a, .img-section-social .google a, .img-section-social .email a, .img-section-social .whatsapp a { height: 40px; width: 40px; text-indent: -1000px; display: block; overflow: hidden; float: left; margin-right: 15px; } .img-section-social .twitter a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/twitter-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .facebook a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/facebook-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .google a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/google-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .email a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/email-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .whatsapp a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/whatsapp-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .twitter a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/twitter-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .facebook a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/facebook-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .google a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/google-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .email a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/email-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .whatsapp a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/whatsapp-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .email { display:none; } @media all and (max-width: 480px) { .image-section{ grid-template-columns: 100%; grid-gap: 60px; } } Gabatswane, BOFWA client In 2012, Gabatswane learned she was HIV positive. "I suspect I contracted HIV from my sex work. There were times I had to engage in risky sex, depending on the money on the table." Gabatswane used to go to the BOFWA clinic in Selebi Phikwe for treatment. “I enjoyed the confidentiality that they had there, compared to the government [clinic] where everyone knows everything. It was comfortable talking to the BOFWA providers.” Due to the Global Gag Rule’s funding cuts, the BOFWA clinic has been forced to close. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Goabaone, sex worker & peer outreach worker "I've been a female sex worker for 5 years and a peer outreach worker for the last two. I was looking at the problems that us sex workers encounter, and thought that this peer outreach system might be able to help,” says Goabaone, explaining how she came to work with MCDA. Since the Global Gag Rule funding cuts the scheme has ended, and she now has to refer them to the government clinic. BOFWA was different: “At BOFWA we felt free, there is no stigma. They didn’t ask [how you got the infection], they just treated you every time,” Goabaone says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Jackie, sex worker & peer outreach worker “I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie, 34. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” Read Jackie's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Joseph, university student Joseph, 19, first came to BOFWA in 2017 when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Read Joseph's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Keanantswe, BOFWA client A few months after beginning her HIV treatment the BOFWA clinic was forced to close due to the Global Gag Rule funding cuts. “In April I received a call from my nurse telling me the clinic is being closed. She gave me tablets for two months up to June 2018. She told me I will get transferred to a government clinic," Keanantswe says. Although getting treatment is now much harder for her, she has to continue going every month or risks getting sick and even dying. “We have lost so much without BOFWA, not only me, but many women. I wish it would open again,” she says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
story
| 08 October 2020
"In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods"
“I've heard kids yelling on the street that there was a program to space pregnancies. I've always wanted to do that for the long term. Until then, I'm still trying with the three-month-old pills. Besides, listening to one of the people advertising these services, the address was not very far from my home." Claudine, aged 27, is a sex worker. "In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods. But once I tried them and I didn't notice any negative impact on my body, I made it a habit in order to not get pregnant". Like all young girls interested in the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (Lot 1) programme services, Claudine arrives shyly at the center where Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial-Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND) distributes contraceptive methods. "When I arrived at the center, I thought that there would be no paperwork to do, but I was pleasantly surprised that the organizers want to find out about me and maybe one day they will be able to set up a health centre to follow us regularly," she hopes. In the DRC, few women raise the subject of sexual violence because they are afraid of being rejected and that "poverty sometimes leads us into sex work," she says. "But the consequences are enormous and sometimes harmful. Girls who are not sensitized will have unsafe abortions and catch sexually transmitted infections." Claudine has expectations and hopes regarding this kind of activity: "However, if awareness-raising is regulated, even every three months, we will, I think, have fewer young mothers because they will be more knowledgable about family planning". The WISH project has seen a positive change in women and girls' access to integrated family planning and sexual and reproductive health care. WISH promotes a variety of contraceptive methods and sexual and reproductive health support, ranging from referrals to services for those who need it most. "I want to feel free in my sexual activities". I have a boyfriend but that doesn't stop me from doing my life. "I make my livelihood as a sex worker and he is a carpenter. That's how we've been trying to make ends meet since we moved to the capital two years ago." "We're going back to the village to take a break, it's not a permanent departure." Claudine and her boyfriend are both from Boende, the capital of the Tshuapa province, in the north-west of the country, 2,285 km from Kinshasa. She was encouraged to move to the capital at the insistence of one of her uncles who had been living there for several years. "The reality is quite different. We have been able to raise enough money to send goods to the village for the past two years. My companion and I will go back there to rest and maybe come back if we get bored in the village again.” “Pakadjuma is a place where almost everyone comes from the village, but it is only here that I see enough interest from associations to sensitize young girls on family planning by distributing condoms to prevent early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It's all very interesting. It's an opportunity for us and I think it's one of the things I'll miss the most when I go back to the village. I hope to still have friends here who can send me these methods.”
story
| 16 May 2025
"In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods"
“I've heard kids yelling on the street that there was a program to space pregnancies. I've always wanted to do that for the long term. Until then, I'm still trying with the three-month-old pills. Besides, listening to one of the people advertising these services, the address was not very far from my home." Claudine, aged 27, is a sex worker. "In the past, I was wary of 'contraceptive' methods. But once I tried them and I didn't notice any negative impact on my body, I made it a habit in order to not get pregnant". Like all young girls interested in the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (Lot 1) programme services, Claudine arrives shyly at the center where Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial-Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND) distributes contraceptive methods. "When I arrived at the center, I thought that there would be no paperwork to do, but I was pleasantly surprised that the organizers want to find out about me and maybe one day they will be able to set up a health centre to follow us regularly," she hopes. In the DRC, few women raise the subject of sexual violence because they are afraid of being rejected and that "poverty sometimes leads us into sex work," she says. "But the consequences are enormous and sometimes harmful. Girls who are not sensitized will have unsafe abortions and catch sexually transmitted infections." Claudine has expectations and hopes regarding this kind of activity: "However, if awareness-raising is regulated, even every three months, we will, I think, have fewer young mothers because they will be more knowledgable about family planning". The WISH project has seen a positive change in women and girls' access to integrated family planning and sexual and reproductive health care. WISH promotes a variety of contraceptive methods and sexual and reproductive health support, ranging from referrals to services for those who need it most. "I want to feel free in my sexual activities". I have a boyfriend but that doesn't stop me from doing my life. "I make my livelihood as a sex worker and he is a carpenter. That's how we've been trying to make ends meet since we moved to the capital two years ago." "We're going back to the village to take a break, it's not a permanent departure." Claudine and her boyfriend are both from Boende, the capital of the Tshuapa province, in the north-west of the country, 2,285 km from Kinshasa. She was encouraged to move to the capital at the insistence of one of her uncles who had been living there for several years. "The reality is quite different. We have been able to raise enough money to send goods to the village for the past two years. My companion and I will go back there to rest and maybe come back if we get bored in the village again.” “Pakadjuma is a place where almost everyone comes from the village, but it is only here that I see enough interest from associations to sensitize young girls on family planning by distributing condoms to prevent early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It's all very interesting. It's an opportunity for us and I think it's one of the things I'll miss the most when I go back to the village. I hope to still have friends here who can send me these methods.”
story
| 08 October 2020
"Right now, the most important thing is to continue my studies and take care of my child"
After her parents divorced, the family dissolved and Ruth found herself in Pakadjuma where she rented a small house. "My boyfriend helps me pay the rent," she says. She thought she would continue with school but could not afford it. After a few years of a relationship, Ruth became pregnant, and explain that "it was late to get an abortion, and I didn't want to put my life in danger." "I would have liked to get my bachelor's degree, but I don't regret it; I loved my child right away." Ruth, aged 19, like other young girls, queues up to learn about the different contraceptive methods the WISH programme offers for girls and women living in Pakadjuma. Some of them sign up directly to take them. Others find out and promise to come back after talking with their companions. The Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH Lot 1) programme offers quality integrated sexual and reproductive health services across the Democratic Republic of Congo through IPPF Member, Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial – Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND). Ruth is trying the service for the first time. She is in favour of receiving a contraceptive method for the next three months. "Some people have discouraged me because they believe that the 5-year method can destroy the body. But before deciding to come here, I asked around with the neighbours who have already tried it. I didn't have any negative experiences." Ruth asked the organizers about the consequences: "They said it's just to protect me so that I don't get pregnant for 3 months and then I can renew if I feel like it.” Ruth feels that many parents do not discuss sexual matters with their children. They probably feel it is inappropriate. Yet, if young girls get pregnant before they are socially stable, it is also due to a lack of guidance and orientation. "This should be a regular initiative," she says. "It's not late to receive sex education but above all to have free contraceptive methods, because I would have preferred a thousand times to buy milk for my baby than to pay for a condom or a Jadelle. Ruth has an 8-month-old baby, "I didn't want this and having many children will be disadvantageous for me especially as I am not yet married". She lives from small businesses and the money to support from her companion. Ruth says she took this contraceptive method without her partner's advice. "Since the birth of our child, we have been abstinent, and that's good. "He encourages me to go back to school, and I think that's what I should do.”
story
| 16 May 2025
"Right now, the most important thing is to continue my studies and take care of my child"
After her parents divorced, the family dissolved and Ruth found herself in Pakadjuma where she rented a small house. "My boyfriend helps me pay the rent," she says. She thought she would continue with school but could not afford it. After a few years of a relationship, Ruth became pregnant, and explain that "it was late to get an abortion, and I didn't want to put my life in danger." "I would have liked to get my bachelor's degree, but I don't regret it; I loved my child right away." Ruth, aged 19, like other young girls, queues up to learn about the different contraceptive methods the WISH programme offers for girls and women living in Pakadjuma. Some of them sign up directly to take them. Others find out and promise to come back after talking with their companions. The Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH Lot 1) programme offers quality integrated sexual and reproductive health services across the Democratic Republic of Congo through IPPF Member, Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial – Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND). Ruth is trying the service for the first time. She is in favour of receiving a contraceptive method for the next three months. "Some people have discouraged me because they believe that the 5-year method can destroy the body. But before deciding to come here, I asked around with the neighbours who have already tried it. I didn't have any negative experiences." Ruth asked the organizers about the consequences: "They said it's just to protect me so that I don't get pregnant for 3 months and then I can renew if I feel like it.” Ruth feels that many parents do not discuss sexual matters with their children. They probably feel it is inappropriate. Yet, if young girls get pregnant before they are socially stable, it is also due to a lack of guidance and orientation. "This should be a regular initiative," she says. "It's not late to receive sex education but above all to have free contraceptive methods, because I would have preferred a thousand times to buy milk for my baby than to pay for a condom or a Jadelle. Ruth has an 8-month-old baby, "I didn't want this and having many children will be disadvantageous for me especially as I am not yet married". She lives from small businesses and the money to support from her companion. Ruth says she took this contraceptive method without her partner's advice. "Since the birth of our child, we have been abstinent, and that's good. "He encourages me to go back to school, and I think that's what I should do.”
story
| 24 July 2018
“I feel comfortable here”
19-year-old Joseph Ikatlholeng attends the Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) clinic in Gaborone every three months to receive antiretroviral treatment for HIV. He’s currently at university, studying for a degree in transport and logistics. “I hope to start my own transport business, maybe in the future an airline,” he says, laughing at the grandeur of his dreams. Joseph first came to BOFWA when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex in March 2017. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment, but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Feeling safe is important to Joseph, who regularly faces discrimination as a man who has sex with other men. “Last week I was walking along, and these guys came past in the car shouting “gay, gay, gay.” I experience that treatment a lot.” Now, he and some LGBTI friends in Botswana are trying to work with their community to change the status quo about LGBTI people in the country. “We’re trying to tell the elders that we are here, we’re trying to change perceptions that LGBTI people are not just on drugs and having sex,” he says.
story
| 16 May 2025
“I feel comfortable here”
19-year-old Joseph Ikatlholeng attends the Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) clinic in Gaborone every three months to receive antiretroviral treatment for HIV. He’s currently at university, studying for a degree in transport and logistics. “I hope to start my own transport business, maybe in the future an airline,” he says, laughing at the grandeur of his dreams. Joseph first came to BOFWA when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex in March 2017. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment, but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Feeling safe is important to Joseph, who regularly faces discrimination as a man who has sex with other men. “Last week I was walking along, and these guys came past in the car shouting “gay, gay, gay.” I experience that treatment a lot.” Now, he and some LGBTI friends in Botswana are trying to work with their community to change the status quo about LGBTI people in the country. “We’re trying to tell the elders that we are here, we’re trying to change perceptions that LGBTI people are not just on drugs and having sex,” he says.
story
| 24 July 2018
“We were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics”
“I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie Selelo, 34, sitting in one of the temporary office buildings at the Nkaikela Youth Group in Gaborone. With the support of BOFWA nurses, the Nkaikela Youth Group provides a range of sexual health care to sex workers: “They need health services for STIs, smear tests, HIV tests, and to be enrolling onto antiretroviral treatment for HIV,” Jackie explains. Female sex workers are in a particularly high-risk group for contracting HIV – the prevalence rate is 61.9% among the community – so having access to testing and treatment is vital. However, Jackie says many women don’t feel safe going to the government clinic. “They don’t accept us. It’s like we’re doing this because we want to, and just bringing disease. We’re not comfortable there and so sex workers are not [being tested and treated] in large numbers. Before BOFWA we were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics.” The difference between being treated by the staff at BOFWA is huge, according to Jackie. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” She’s concerned that if funding continues to be cut, BOFWA nurses will stop coming to the Youth Group completely. “If they stop it will be difficult for us. We will die, we will be infected,” she says.
story
| 16 May 2025
“We were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics”
“I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie Selelo, 34, sitting in one of the temporary office buildings at the Nkaikela Youth Group in Gaborone. With the support of BOFWA nurses, the Nkaikela Youth Group provides a range of sexual health care to sex workers: “They need health services for STIs, smear tests, HIV tests, and to be enrolling onto antiretroviral treatment for HIV,” Jackie explains. Female sex workers are in a particularly high-risk group for contracting HIV – the prevalence rate is 61.9% among the community – so having access to testing and treatment is vital. However, Jackie says many women don’t feel safe going to the government clinic. “They don’t accept us. It’s like we’re doing this because we want to, and just bringing disease. We’re not comfortable there and so sex workers are not [being tested and treated] in large numbers. Before BOFWA we were dying in large numbers because we were afraid of those clinics.” The difference between being treated by the staff at BOFWA is huge, according to Jackie. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” She’s concerned that if funding continues to be cut, BOFWA nurses will stop coming to the Youth Group completely. “If they stop it will be difficult for us. We will die, we will be infected,” she says.
story
| 18 July 2018
In pictures: Vital HIV care for local communities in Botswana forced to stop
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"I suspect I contracted HIV from my sex work. There were times I had to engage in risky sex, depending on the money on the table." Gabatswane used to go to the BOFWA clinic in Selebi Phikwe for treatment. “I enjoyed the confidentiality that they had there, compared to the government [clinic] where everyone knows everything. It was comfortable talking to the BOFWA providers.” Due to the Global Gag Rule’s funding cuts, the BOFWA clinic has been forced to close. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Goabaone, sex worker & peer outreach worker "I've been a female sex worker for 5 years and a peer outreach worker for the last two. I was looking at the problems that us sex workers encounter, and thought that this peer outreach system might be able to help,” says Goabaone, explaining how she came to work with MCDA. Since the Global Gag Rule funding cuts the scheme has ended, and she now has to refer them to the government clinic. BOFWA was different: “At BOFWA we felt free, there is no stigma. They didn’t ask [how you got the infection], they just treated you every time,” Goabaone says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Jackie, sex worker & peer outreach worker “I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie, 34. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” Read Jackie's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Joseph, university student Joseph, 19, first came to BOFWA in 2017 when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Read Joseph's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Keanantswe, BOFWA client A few months after beginning her HIV treatment the BOFWA clinic was forced to close due to the Global Gag Rule funding cuts. “In April I received a call from my nurse telling me the clinic is being closed. She gave me tablets for two months up to June 2018. She told me I will get transferred to a government clinic," Keanantswe says. Although getting treatment is now much harder for her, she has to continue going every month or risks getting sick and even dying. “We have lost so much without BOFWA, not only me, but many women. I wish it would open again,” she says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
story
| 16 May 2025
In pictures: Vital HIV care for local communities in Botswana forced to stop
.image-section { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 25% 75%; grid-gap: 60px; overflow: hidden; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom:70px; } .img-caption { border-bottom: 5px #00a4e4 solid; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-bottom:30px; } .img-caption p { margin-bottom:30px; } ul.img-section-social{ list-style: none; padding: 0; margin: 0; } .img-section-social li{ padding: 0; margin: 0; float:left; } .img-section-social .twitter a,.img-section-social .facebook a, .img-section-social .google a, .img-section-social .email a, .img-section-social .whatsapp a { height: 40px; width: 40px; text-indent: -1000px; display: block; overflow: hidden; float: left; margin-right: 15px; } .img-section-social .twitter a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/twitter-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .facebook a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/facebook-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .google a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/google-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .email a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/email-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .whatsapp a{ background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/whatsapp-whiteonblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .twitter a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/twitter-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .facebook a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/facebook-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .google a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/google-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .email a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/email-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .whatsapp a:hover { background: url(/themes/ippf/images/social-icons/whatsapp-whiteondrkblue.svg) no-repeat; } .img-section-social .email { display:none; } @media all and (max-width: 480px) { .image-section{ grid-template-columns: 100%; grid-gap: 60px; } } Gabatswane, BOFWA client In 2012, Gabatswane learned she was HIV positive. "I suspect I contracted HIV from my sex work. There were times I had to engage in risky sex, depending on the money on the table." Gabatswane used to go to the BOFWA clinic in Selebi Phikwe for treatment. “I enjoyed the confidentiality that they had there, compared to the government [clinic] where everyone knows everything. It was comfortable talking to the BOFWA providers.” Due to the Global Gag Rule’s funding cuts, the BOFWA clinic has been forced to close. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Goabaone, sex worker & peer outreach worker "I've been a female sex worker for 5 years and a peer outreach worker for the last two. I was looking at the problems that us sex workers encounter, and thought that this peer outreach system might be able to help,” says Goabaone, explaining how she came to work with MCDA. Since the Global Gag Rule funding cuts the scheme has ended, and she now has to refer them to the government clinic. BOFWA was different: “At BOFWA we felt free, there is no stigma. They didn’t ask [how you got the infection], they just treated you every time,” Goabaone says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Jackie, sex worker & peer outreach worker “I’m a sex worker and peer outreach worker for the Nkaikela Youth Group. We reach the other sex workers because we are the ones that know them. We go to their houses, we go to the hotspots like clubs and the street; we reach them and encourage them to come here [to the Youth Group],” says Jackie, 34. “We get a good service with BOFWA, they’re helping us to come for tests and they’re treating us good. With BOFWA if you come for HIV testing and were positive they would initiate you on to treatment the same day. Any problem you could discuss with them without fear, like they are your brothers and sisters.” Read Jackie's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Joseph, university student Joseph, 19, first came to BOFWA in 2017 when he and his boyfriend decided to start practicing safe sex. “I had put myself in risky situations so thought I should get tested for HIV,” he says. After learning he was HIV positive, Joseph tried out a few clinics to receive his treatment but found BOFWA to be the most confidential and friendly. Sitting in the clinic behind the doctor’s desk, he says, “I never have any problems coming here. I feel comfortable here. At [the government clinic] there is no privacy; most of my friends are there. Sometimes if you go there you find them suspecting something, and everyone will be knowing your status. That’s why I prefer BOFWA.” Read Joseph's full story here Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email Keanantswe, BOFWA client A few months after beginning her HIV treatment the BOFWA clinic was forced to close due to the Global Gag Rule funding cuts. “In April I received a call from my nurse telling me the clinic is being closed. She gave me tablets for two months up to June 2018. She told me I will get transferred to a government clinic," Keanantswe says. Although getting treatment is now much harder for her, she has to continue going every month or risks getting sick and even dying. “We have lost so much without BOFWA, not only me, but many women. I wish it would open again,” she says. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
