Jembatan Project: Towards Integrating Infertility in SRHR programming

The issue of infertility is widespread in the Global South, including Indonesia, and its impact on affected individuals can be devastating. Research indicates that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) often overlook or minimally address the challenges of sub- or infertility. Furthermore, these organizations rarely engage with support groups at infertility clinics. Insights from a prior University of Amsterdam (UvA) project in Ghana and Kenya, part of another Share-Net small grant, revealed the pivotal role of these support groups in providing information, counselling, and combating the stigma surrounding infertility.

To encourage SRHR NGOs to address infertility, ResultsinHealth (RiH), UvA, and the Share-Net Community of Practice (CoP) on Infertility initiated preliminary efforts to facilitate collaboration between NGOs working in SRHR and infertility support groups. This initiative, named Jembatan, took place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from June to November 2018. The project involved the International Planned Parenthood Association’s Yogyakarta branch (PKBI DIY), the Permata Hati infertility clinic, and the support group for patients of the Permata Hati clinic (PTPH Support Group). Its primary aim was to foster exchange and collaboration among the PTPH support group, PKBI DIY, and Permata Hati Clinic to enhance and scale up interventions addressing infertility. Specifically, Jembatan aimed to promote collaboration among these three organizations.

As a result of this project, five knowledge products were created (download below): a project brief, a literature review on support groups for individuals with fertility issues, and a workshop series.