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Saathiya Youth Friendly Initiative Evaluation Report

Currently married youth in India have considerable unmet need for family planning (FP) and low levels of modern FP use. 27% of currently married 15-19 year old women have unmet need for FP and only 7% report current use of a modern FP method (NFHS-3). The Saathiya Youth-friendly Initiative (YFI) is a social marketing approach that seeks to improve both the supply of and demand for contraceptive services and methods thereby improving use of modern FP among currently married youth in India. Core Saathiya YFI activities included the following: (a) Creating and training a network of providers in youth-friendly counseling and contraception provision. The network includes a total of 304 network chemists, 315 Indigenous Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy doctors (ISM&H) and 218 OB/GYNs and General Practitioners (GPs) in Lucknow city. Network providers were also supported with signage and other materials to help consumers identify them as "youth-friendly" Saathiya providers; (b) Promoting a basket of reversible and modern contraceptives through Saathiya providers; (c) Creating a referral system within the Saathiya network; (d) Implementing a toll-free telephone helpline with trained counselors to provide FP information, counseling and refer to Saathiya providers if necessary; (e) Advertising and communication activities to build awareness of the Saathiya brand and generate demand for Saathiya providers.