Peer educators demonstrate how to put on a condom

D: you don’t know if it has air in it or not?

S: not my problem, it’s the man’s problem.

D: no, you must know because he might not know and it’s something for men and women, not just men.

Associação Para o Planeamento da Família (APF), runs a youth centre in Lisbon.

Young people ranging from age 13-22 attend. It is in an area with a lot of social housing. Activities include learning about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights, attending conferences and visiting schools.

APF focuses on:

• information
• education
• training 
• advocacy

for sexual and reproductive rights, especially with regard to sex education and activities involving young people.

We are a volunteer organization, with activities in all the Portuguese territory and with regional delegations:

• Algarve
• Alentejo
• Centre
• Lisbon Tagus
• Sando
• North
• The Autonomous Region of the Azores
• The Autonomous Region of Madeira

APF's voluntary and technical collaborators are:

• health professionals
• educational professionals
• professionals dealing with young people and community intervention, of various backgrounds

The team in Lisbon.

Abortion and advocacy

In 2007, thanks to years of advocacy work by APF, Portugal's parliament approved a bill allowing abortions until the 10th week of pregnancy.

Ongoing work

Programmes in fields such as:

• sexual orientation
• homosexuality
• early pregnancy and motherhood
• teen parenthood
• abortion
• contraception
• male sexual and reproductive health

Campaigns and weeks of contraceptive information:

• correct use of contraception
• prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Free access to emergency contraception

The emergency pill was first available in Portugal without prescription in 2000. We spurred public debates in the media regarding free access to emergency contraception to support this move.

Resource Centre for Knowledge on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Our Resource Centre is an indispensable and much sought service. Featuring a specialized bibliographical collection, very rich and unique in the country, the Centre makes available information resources and material on SRH.

Youth Centres

These are now present in all our regional delegations.  All our youth centres provide counselling services or can refer people for counselling. 

Sexuality Online

Our phone helpline, Sexuality Online, is for information, support, counselling and referral in the area of SRH for young people.

New sexuality education policies in schools

In 2005 we were the target of an aggressive campaign, led by conservative political and religions groups with the support of part of the media.

This campaign grossly distorted APF's sexuality education activities and materials, which led to new policies on sexuality education, given that the signed protocols between the Ministry of Education and the three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in sexuality education, including APF, were revoked.

Setting up the OPTIONS phone line

In December 2006, APF created a new helpline: the OPTIONS phone line. It is a new phone service providing support, information and counselling in situations of unwanted pregnancy and contraceptive follow-up.

Our contribution

We have made an invaluable contribution to:

• improvements in the field of sexual and reproductive health
• maternal and child health
• increased use of contraceptives during the last two decades 
• a significant reduction of teen pregnancy

We contribute to national policies and to co-operation and development.

It is with great pride that APF follows closely the history and development of Family Planning and Sexuality Education in Portugal, maintaining the ability to innovate and come up with proposals, solutions and expertise which promote people's sexual and reproductive health, support human rights and equal opportunities.