Sexual and Reproductive Health

Family planning is essential to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in low resource settings. Research shows that as much as 30% of maternal deaths and 10% of neonatal deaths could be averted if women space their pregnancies two years apart. Additionally, early marriage and child bearing have serious health implications on young girls. Maternal death rates for young women aged 15 to 19 are twice as high as for older women, and young women who give birth before the age of 20 have a double risk of preterm delivery, compared to women who are over 20. Access to family planning methods for spacing empowers women to raise healthier children.

Laerdal Global Health is currently expanding its sexual and reproductive health and family planning portfolio with the Uterus collection. The Uterus Collection, consisting of Mama-U and Sister-U, provides training to health care providers in insertion and removal of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) in postpartum and interval uteri (IUDs), vaginal examinations/inspections and post-abortion care. Through our solutions, we support our partners to ensure that health workers are better trained, and empowered to provide quality and safe reproductive health services to women and girls.  

• Rodriguez MI, Chang R, Thiel de Bocanegra H. The impact of postpartum contraception on reducing preterm birth: findings from California. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2015;213:703.e1-6.
• Best Practices in Postpartum Family Planning, Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2015
• UNFPA Fact Sheet on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2014