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BUCHAREST, Romania, May 24, 2004 — In this country where the average woman has more abortions than children in her lifetime, PSI has set itself the daunting challenge of reducing the number of abortions by informing female factory workers between the ages of 17 and 40 of their contraceptive options and encouraging responsible choices regarding their reproductive health. In 2003, PSI/Romania's activities helped prevent almost 48,000 unintended pregnancies. In Romania, abortion continues to be the primary method of fertility control for most women. According to a 1999 reproductive health survey, Romanian women have an average of 2.2 abortions but only 1.3 children, and 2003 Ministry of Health statistics reveal that abortions still exceed live births. PSI/Romania addresses this problem through reproductive health workshops called "Among Us Women" that are funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the John Snow Research and Training Institute. Since starting in late 2002, PSI has conducted over 6,300 workshops, reaching over 107,000 women. The workshops are conducted where there is a high concentration of female workers, usually in textile factories, in collaboration with private local doctors and factory management. The workshops are scheduled either before or after work shifts or during lunch breaks. "The fact that many women are willing to come to work early, stay late or use their lunch break to hear what we have to say indicates that we are filling a need, that what we are providing is important," says Dr. Anca Purdel, one of the medical doctors currently implementing the program for PSI/Romania. The workshops last 30-60 minutes. Most of the questions are on oral contraceptive pills, as they have not been available for many years and misinformation abounds. The workshop facilitators are all private medical doctors who have been trained by PSI on family planning technical and medical issues and group communication techniques. They stress that women have the right and responsibility to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. The doctors discuss all methods of family planning — including condoms, birth control pills, IUDs and spermicides — in addition to the risks associated with having more than one partner and how to protect oneself from sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. At the end of the workshop, participants are given the "Women's
Health Brochure" which provides detailed information on contraceptive
methods and other reproductive health issues, a pamphlet on Coral
21 (PSI's oral contraceptive brand), PSI's Love Plus condoms
and prizes for responding correctly to questions. The facilitators also
provide referrals to local doctors and clinics providing reproductive
health services. — Marie-Laure Curie, PSI/Washington and Daun Fest, PSI/Romania
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