ARHP's National Program to Prevent Unintended Pregnancy update.

Health Sex 3(3):15-7 (1993) PMID 12286567

The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) has developed a National Program to Prevent Unintended Pregnancy. A multisectoral group of 100 people attended ARHP's April 1993 consensus conference to come up with strategies to reduce unwanted pregnancies in the US. Participants agreed that health care professionals are the key in achieving this goal, but all sectors of society are needed for a integrated approach. ARHP would begin by motivating and educating health practitioners, especially nurses, physicians, and primary care givers. It would eventually like to be in a position to expand its efforts to the mass media, religious groups, schools, and community groups. ARHP's strategy is to build a working coalition of health professional associations to boost awareness of and support for the program. The second strategy includes individual health professionals increasing their own familiarity with the program and their opportunities to actively participate in prevention of unwanted pregnancy. A speaker's bureau would be part of this strategy. The third strategy involves ARHP developing a continuing medical education program on preventing unintended pregnancy. It envisions a core curriculum on contraception, family planning counseling, quality reproductive care, and sexually transmitted disease prevention using videos, print materials, and a curriculum guide. Increasing the availability of quality patient education materials which would strengthen practitioners' counseling encompasses the fourth strategy. The final strategy consists in development of undergraduate and graduate education curricula in reproductive health, including health behaviors. ARHP encourages its members to become involved to make this program a success.