Improving Community Health and Prevention through the Reproductive and Sexual Health Priority Area

This session will focus on the National Prevention Strategy (NPS) Priority Area of Reproductive and Sexual Health. Key recommendations from the NPS reproductive and sexual health include:

1) Increase use of preconception and prenatal care,
2) Support reproductive and sexual health services and support services for pregnant and parenting women,
3) Provide effective sexual health education especially for adolescents, and
4) Enhance early detection of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other STIs and improve linkage to care. (National Prevention Council, 2011)

Many communities and local health/ public health systems have been organizing to increase access to reproductive and sexual health care and to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases; however barriers persist and case studies are needed to identify lessons learned.

In this session, we will carry out an active, participant engaged discussion of focused topics that will inform the NPS leadership of possible areas for technical assistance resource development and shared learning. The focused topics for discussion are: (a) Building partnerships across sectors and diverse contexts (b) finding common ground, decision-making and power sharing (c) policy development at the local level (upstream and downstream issues and ripple effects); (d) enhancing capacities, mutual learning and sustainability. A brief summary of our shared understanding and common concerns will be reported back to the larger session for a response and future action from the national NPS leadership.