Seeing beyond her own pain

I was trained by The Challenge Initiative (TCI) project on family planning (FP) counselling, Antara as well as intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs). I am committed to my FP-related work since my UPHC is visited by a large number of women who depend on me for their FP needs. I cannot afford to miss even a day of work and try hard to be there for everyone.

“I remember when a frail woman – and a mother of seven - visited our UPHC to for STI (sexually transmitted disease) treatment. She was in poor health, and I tried counselling her on various options available for family planning so she could focus on the well-being of her children as well as her own health. She was amenable to the idea herself, but was obviously reluctant because she knew her husband staunchly refused to adopt any FP method, either for himself or for her,” says Manisha.

Manisha decided to continue the dialogue with her client whenever she came to the UPHC for follow-up visits.
One day, seeing her accompanied by her husband, Manisha plucked up the courage to speak to him directly, despite the woman’s discomfort at the idea. Manisha was determined, though, and she took the couple aside and gently told him about his wife’s poor health and how it affected the well-being of the whole family, including their seven children at home. “I explained the benefits of family planning in detail to both of them, especially the husband,” says Manisha.

It was not easy, but after a number of counselling sessions, Manisha was able to persuade him to consent to his wife and himself adopt family planning. “It was then that I felt a sense of satisfaction. I had learnt first-hand how reluctance of husbands and in-laws was arguably the biggest obstacle to women adopting family planning to limit the size of their families,” she says.

Apart from being a stellar example of how strengthening provider capacity impact
quality outcomes, Manisha also shares her experience with male engagement
in strengthening FP service delivery to demonstrate her commitment
to supporting communities in uptake of family planning services.