Conducting Home Visits and Providing Counseling and Contraceptive Services to Young Women, Including First-Time Mothers in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria

This training aims to give community health workers conducting home visits to young married women and first-time parents (FTPs) the knowledge and skills needed to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights of these groups. This training is designed for use in Nigeria, where a significant proportion of adolescent girls aged 15–19 and young women aged 20–24 are married or living in union, but it can easily be adapted for other settings.

This 2-day training is intended for community health workers who have already received some training in adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH). Alternatively, it could be integrated into a broader AYSRH training, and sections could be adapted to train community workers who are engaged in activities other than home visits. The module covers topics including healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP), nonjudgmental counseling for young married women and FTPs, and the particular challenges and pressures concerning childbearing faced by young married women and FTPs. The training consists of trainer presentations (slides included) and numerous participatory small and large group activities.