The Unione Italiana Centri Educazione Matrimoniale e Prematrimoniale (UICEMP) has seven branch clinics in the north, centre and south of the country offering fertility regulation and psychosexual counselling services.

Most of our clients are aged 18-34, and are well-educated.

The Milan centre runs a weekly sexual and reproductive health service clinic for men which is well-attended.

UICEMP, a family planning association, focuses mainly on information, education and training courses for health service personnel and social workers in the state family planning clinics, for teachers and others working with young people.

The courses are based on the `experiential' approach whereby those trained come to own the values imparted in the course and then motivate clients to improve their reproductive health behaviour.

These courses are paid for by the local health districts or, in the case of sex education, by the municipality.

As part of our advocacy work, we have founded an all-party parliamentarians association to involve them in international perspectives on reproductive health issues.

The Genoa clinic runs a weekend/holiday telephone service which was set up in 1994 with the intention of providing an emergency line when the clinic is closed.

A gynaecologist is on call, and receives an average of 10 calls each weekend. Most calls concern post-coital contraception. Other calls are from pregnant women regarding their pregnancies and on gynaecological problems, missed pills, infections and so on.