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.
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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
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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
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Abortion Rights: Latest Decisions and Developments around the World
Over the past 30 years, more than
Palestine
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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
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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
| 17 December 2019
In pictures: From humanitarian emergencies to a historic referendum – a decade delivering care
2010 Haiti PROFAMIL, the IPPF Member Association in Haiti, deployed teams to help communities affected by the earthquake that struck in January 2010.During crises we work closely with our clinics on the ground to deliver life-saving care to people in need. Our mobile clinics provide on-the-spot healthcare such as STI and HIV diagnosis and treatment, short and long-acting contraception, and emergency obstetric and neonatal care.©IPPF/Toan Tran/Haiti Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2011 Bolivia IPPF’s Member Association in Bolivia, CIES, offers the HPV vaccine in schools, health centres, and mobile clinics to ensure widespread access to this lifesaving prevention measure.By 2011, more than 75,000 girls had received vaccinations.©IPPFWHR/Juan Pablo Richter/Bolivia Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2012 Palestine A group of young women attend a theatre session as part of PFPPA’s gender based violence work delivered through a mobile healthcare clinic in a Bedouin village.In 2012, 40% of our sexual and reproductive healthcare was delivered to young people.©IPPF/Graeme Robertson/Palestine Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2013 Philippines In response to the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, IPPF's humanitarian team worked with our Member Association, the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), supporting relief efforts to provide lifesaving healthcare to affected communities.©IPPF/Suzanne Lee/Philippines Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2014 Uganda In 2014, IPPF distributed 187,257,756 condoms globally. Condoms are the only form of contraception that can protect you from HIV and STIs and are 87-98% effective for an external (male) condom and 79-95% effective for an internal (female) condom.Using a condom alongside another form of contraception (for example an IUD or the Pill) is the best way to protect against unintended pregnancy.©IPPFTommy Trenchard/Uganda Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2015 Nepal On Saturday 25 April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, causing massive devastation and loss of life. It was the worst natural disaster to strike the country for 80 years.The Family Planning Association of Nepal set up a mobile healthcare clinic in Gagarfedi; one of the worse affected villages in the Kathmandu district north of the city delivering vital healthcare to the local community.©IPPF/Amelia Andrews/Nepal Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2016 Nigeria IPPF has played a major role in the introduction – and accessibility – of Sayana Press; a three-month, progestin-only injectable contraceptive favoured for its convenience in administration and portability.Emiade Kudirat is a Community Health Extension Worker with the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN). Specializing in Sayana Press, she says:"I go from house-to-house to provide health education and introduce family planning services. I do counselling and provision of these services too. The PPFN model can really reduce the mortality rate of women in the community. We're taking the clinic to women at the market, to their homes and to their work."©IPPF/George Osodi/Nigeria Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2017 Mozambique Albertina, now retired, worked with HIV patients for Amodefa for 38 years and was their longest serving nurse. “I like helping people, that’s why I do this job.”Albertina headed up Amodefa’s home care programme which provides medical, nutritional and emotional support to HIV positive patients living in the poorest suburbs of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.©IPPF/Grant Lee Neuenburg/Mozambique Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2018 Ireland 2018 brought a legislative victory to repeal the 8th amendment; on 25 May people voted for a more caring and compassionate Ireland, where women can access abortion care in their own country.Áine, activist with IFPA says, “It was exciting to be part of a big campaign. Young people are often seen as politically apathetic, but it’s important my generation are involved in the reproductive rights movement.For me abortion is about motherhood at the end of the day. It’s about allowing us the right to be the best mothers we can be, if and only when we decide it’s right for us to be."©IPPF/Barry Cronin/Ireland Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2019 India Pradipta Kumar, 22, a security guard and Pankanjini Behera, 21, are recently married. The young couple have decided not to have children for a couple of years.They attended a clinic set up by the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) to help those affected by Cyclone Fani for advice on types of contraception available.©IPPF/Kathleen Prior/India Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
story
| 09 May 2025
In pictures: From humanitarian emergencies to a historic referendum – a decade delivering care
2010 Haiti PROFAMIL, the IPPF Member Association in Haiti, deployed teams to help communities affected by the earthquake that struck in January 2010.During crises we work closely with our clinics on the ground to deliver life-saving care to people in need. Our mobile clinics provide on-the-spot healthcare such as STI and HIV diagnosis and treatment, short and long-acting contraception, and emergency obstetric and neonatal care.©IPPF/Toan Tran/Haiti Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2011 Bolivia IPPF’s Member Association in Bolivia, CIES, offers the HPV vaccine in schools, health centres, and mobile clinics to ensure widespread access to this lifesaving prevention measure.By 2011, more than 75,000 girls had received vaccinations.©IPPFWHR/Juan Pablo Richter/Bolivia Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2012 Palestine A group of young women attend a theatre session as part of PFPPA’s gender based violence work delivered through a mobile healthcare clinic in a Bedouin village.In 2012, 40% of our sexual and reproductive healthcare was delivered to young people.©IPPF/Graeme Robertson/Palestine Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2013 Philippines In response to the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, IPPF's humanitarian team worked with our Member Association, the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), supporting relief efforts to provide lifesaving healthcare to affected communities.©IPPF/Suzanne Lee/Philippines Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2014 Uganda In 2014, IPPF distributed 187,257,756 condoms globally. Condoms are the only form of contraception that can protect you from HIV and STIs and are 87-98% effective for an external (male) condom and 79-95% effective for an internal (female) condom.Using a condom alongside another form of contraception (for example an IUD or the Pill) is the best way to protect against unintended pregnancy.©IPPFTommy Trenchard/Uganda Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2015 Nepal On Saturday 25 April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, causing massive devastation and loss of life. It was the worst natural disaster to strike the country for 80 years.The Family Planning Association of Nepal set up a mobile healthcare clinic in Gagarfedi; one of the worse affected villages in the Kathmandu district north of the city delivering vital healthcare to the local community.©IPPF/Amelia Andrews/Nepal Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2016 Nigeria IPPF has played a major role in the introduction – and accessibility – of Sayana Press; a three-month, progestin-only injectable contraceptive favoured for its convenience in administration and portability.Emiade Kudirat is a Community Health Extension Worker with the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN). Specializing in Sayana Press, she says:"I go from house-to-house to provide health education and introduce family planning services. I do counselling and provision of these services too. The PPFN model can really reduce the mortality rate of women in the community. We're taking the clinic to women at the market, to their homes and to their work."©IPPF/George Osodi/Nigeria Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2017 Mozambique Albertina, now retired, worked with HIV patients for Amodefa for 38 years and was their longest serving nurse. “I like helping people, that’s why I do this job.”Albertina headed up Amodefa’s home care programme which provides medical, nutritional and emotional support to HIV positive patients living in the poorest suburbs of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.©IPPF/Grant Lee Neuenburg/Mozambique Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2018 Ireland 2018 brought a legislative victory to repeal the 8th amendment; on 25 May people voted for a more caring and compassionate Ireland, where women can access abortion care in their own country.Áine, activist with IFPA says, “It was exciting to be part of a big campaign. Young people are often seen as politically apathetic, but it’s important my generation are involved in the reproductive rights movement.For me abortion is about motherhood at the end of the day. It’s about allowing us the right to be the best mothers we can be, if and only when we decide it’s right for us to be."©IPPF/Barry Cronin/Ireland Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2019 India Pradipta Kumar, 22, a security guard and Pankanjini Behera, 21, are recently married. The young couple have decided not to have children for a couple of years.They attended a clinic set up by the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) to help those affected by Cyclone Fani for advice on types of contraception available.©IPPF/Kathleen Prior/India Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
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
| 10 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
| 10 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
.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
| 10 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
| 17 December 2019
In pictures: From humanitarian emergencies to a historic referendum – a decade delivering care
2010 Haiti PROFAMIL, the IPPF Member Association in Haiti, deployed teams to help communities affected by the earthquake that struck in January 2010.During crises we work closely with our clinics on the ground to deliver life-saving care to people in need. Our mobile clinics provide on-the-spot healthcare such as STI and HIV diagnosis and treatment, short and long-acting contraception, and emergency obstetric and neonatal care.©IPPF/Toan Tran/Haiti Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2011 Bolivia IPPF’s Member Association in Bolivia, CIES, offers the HPV vaccine in schools, health centres, and mobile clinics to ensure widespread access to this lifesaving prevention measure.By 2011, more than 75,000 girls had received vaccinations.©IPPFWHR/Juan Pablo Richter/Bolivia Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2012 Palestine A group of young women attend a theatre session as part of PFPPA’s gender based violence work delivered through a mobile healthcare clinic in a Bedouin village.In 2012, 40% of our sexual and reproductive healthcare was delivered to young people.©IPPF/Graeme Robertson/Palestine Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2013 Philippines In response to the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, IPPF's humanitarian team worked with our Member Association, the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), supporting relief efforts to provide lifesaving healthcare to affected communities.©IPPF/Suzanne Lee/Philippines Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2014 Uganda In 2014, IPPF distributed 187,257,756 condoms globally. Condoms are the only form of contraception that can protect you from HIV and STIs and are 87-98% effective for an external (male) condom and 79-95% effective for an internal (female) condom.Using a condom alongside another form of contraception (for example an IUD or the Pill) is the best way to protect against unintended pregnancy.©IPPFTommy Trenchard/Uganda Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2015 Nepal On Saturday 25 April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, causing massive devastation and loss of life. It was the worst natural disaster to strike the country for 80 years.The Family Planning Association of Nepal set up a mobile healthcare clinic in Gagarfedi; one of the worse affected villages in the Kathmandu district north of the city delivering vital healthcare to the local community.©IPPF/Amelia Andrews/Nepal Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2016 Nigeria IPPF has played a major role in the introduction – and accessibility – of Sayana Press; a three-month, progestin-only injectable contraceptive favoured for its convenience in administration and portability.Emiade Kudirat is a Community Health Extension Worker with the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN). Specializing in Sayana Press, she says:"I go from house-to-house to provide health education and introduce family planning services. I do counselling and provision of these services too. The PPFN model can really reduce the mortality rate of women in the community. We're taking the clinic to women at the market, to their homes and to their work."©IPPF/George Osodi/Nigeria Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2017 Mozambique Albertina, now retired, worked with HIV patients for Amodefa for 38 years and was their longest serving nurse. “I like helping people, that’s why I do this job.”Albertina headed up Amodefa’s home care programme which provides medical, nutritional and emotional support to HIV positive patients living in the poorest suburbs of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.©IPPF/Grant Lee Neuenburg/Mozambique Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2018 Ireland 2018 brought a legislative victory to repeal the 8th amendment; on 25 May people voted for a more caring and compassionate Ireland, where women can access abortion care in their own country.Áine, activist with IFPA says, “It was exciting to be part of a big campaign. Young people are often seen as politically apathetic, but it’s important my generation are involved in the reproductive rights movement.For me abortion is about motherhood at the end of the day. It’s about allowing us the right to be the best mothers we can be, if and only when we decide it’s right for us to be."©IPPF/Barry Cronin/Ireland Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2019 India Pradipta Kumar, 22, a security guard and Pankanjini Behera, 21, are recently married. The young couple have decided not to have children for a couple of years.They attended a clinic set up by the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) to help those affected by Cyclone Fani for advice on types of contraception available.©IPPF/Kathleen Prior/India Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
story
| 09 May 2025
In pictures: From humanitarian emergencies to a historic referendum – a decade delivering care
2010 Haiti PROFAMIL, the IPPF Member Association in Haiti, deployed teams to help communities affected by the earthquake that struck in January 2010.During crises we work closely with our clinics on the ground to deliver life-saving care to people in need. Our mobile clinics provide on-the-spot healthcare such as STI and HIV diagnosis and treatment, short and long-acting contraception, and emergency obstetric and neonatal care.©IPPF/Toan Tran/Haiti Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2011 Bolivia IPPF’s Member Association in Bolivia, CIES, offers the HPV vaccine in schools, health centres, and mobile clinics to ensure widespread access to this lifesaving prevention measure.By 2011, more than 75,000 girls had received vaccinations.©IPPFWHR/Juan Pablo Richter/Bolivia Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2012 Palestine A group of young women attend a theatre session as part of PFPPA’s gender based violence work delivered through a mobile healthcare clinic in a Bedouin village.In 2012, 40% of our sexual and reproductive healthcare was delivered to young people.©IPPF/Graeme Robertson/Palestine Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2013 Philippines In response to the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, IPPF's humanitarian team worked with our Member Association, the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), supporting relief efforts to provide lifesaving healthcare to affected communities.©IPPF/Suzanne Lee/Philippines Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2014 Uganda In 2014, IPPF distributed 187,257,756 condoms globally. Condoms are the only form of contraception that can protect you from HIV and STIs and are 87-98% effective for an external (male) condom and 79-95% effective for an internal (female) condom.Using a condom alongside another form of contraception (for example an IUD or the Pill) is the best way to protect against unintended pregnancy.©IPPFTommy Trenchard/Uganda Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2015 Nepal On Saturday 25 April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, causing massive devastation and loss of life. It was the worst natural disaster to strike the country for 80 years.The Family Planning Association of Nepal set up a mobile healthcare clinic in Gagarfedi; one of the worse affected villages in the Kathmandu district north of the city delivering vital healthcare to the local community.©IPPF/Amelia Andrews/Nepal Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2016 Nigeria IPPF has played a major role in the introduction – and accessibility – of Sayana Press; a three-month, progestin-only injectable contraceptive favoured for its convenience in administration and portability.Emiade Kudirat is a Community Health Extension Worker with the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN). Specializing in Sayana Press, she says:"I go from house-to-house to provide health education and introduce family planning services. I do counselling and provision of these services too. The PPFN model can really reduce the mortality rate of women in the community. We're taking the clinic to women at the market, to their homes and to their work."©IPPF/George Osodi/Nigeria Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2017 Mozambique Albertina, now retired, worked with HIV patients for Amodefa for 38 years and was their longest serving nurse. “I like helping people, that’s why I do this job.”Albertina headed up Amodefa’s home care programme which provides medical, nutritional and emotional support to HIV positive patients living in the poorest suburbs of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.©IPPF/Grant Lee Neuenburg/Mozambique Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2018 Ireland 2018 brought a legislative victory to repeal the 8th amendment; on 25 May people voted for a more caring and compassionate Ireland, where women can access abortion care in their own country.Áine, activist with IFPA says, “It was exciting to be part of a big campaign. Young people are often seen as politically apathetic, but it’s important my generation are involved in the reproductive rights movement.For me abortion is about motherhood at the end of the day. It’s about allowing us the right to be the best mothers we can be, if and only when we decide it’s right for us to be."©IPPF/Barry Cronin/Ireland Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email 2019 India Pradipta Kumar, 22, a security guard and Pankanjini Behera, 21, are recently married. The young couple have decided not to have children for a couple of years.They attended a clinic set up by the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) to help those affected by Cyclone Fani for advice on types of contraception available.©IPPF/Kathleen Prior/India Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via WhatsApp Share via Email
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
| 10 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
| 10 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
| 10 May 2025
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
