Family Planning Education
In order to raise awareness about family planning in Guatemala and increase the use of available services, WINGS’ family planning educators conduct community outreach and provide individual counseling and referrals for family planning methods when requested.
These outreach efforts focus on the departments of Escuintla, Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, Sololá, Quiché, Totonicapán, and Petén, and consist of three components:
- Educational talks provided in a group setting, covering basic information about reproductive health, reproductive risk, and responsible parenting, as well as an overview of available family planning methods;
- Individual counseling and home visits for men, women, and couples, providing more in depth information about different family planning methods and helping individuals and couples choose the most appropriate method to meet their needs;
- Referrals to WINGS-subsidized family planning services, provided either through WINGS’ community family planning promoters or by WINGS’ partner organizations, such as APROFAM and Behrhorst Hospital.
WINGS’ family planning educators are able to provide information both in Spanish and local Mayan languages. Our educational materials use simple illustrations and are suitable for low-literacy audiences. We regularly share these materials with other organizations so that they can be used in family planning programs throughout Guatemala.