Family Planning and Reproductive Health

The seminar "Knowledge as a Chance"

lecture material “Knowledge as a Change“ offers education and innovative family planning with easily available means, understandable to all people. AKTION REGEN used it, amongst other places, in India and Siberia. The seminar brochure also served as lecture material for the course „Diploma Community Health“ for doctors from developing countries at the University of Innsbruck. In 1994 it was completely revised according to the experience gained and is now available in German, English, French and Spanish.

Download Seminar “Knowledge as a Chance” english Version (pdf, 1350kb)

All teaching aids mentioned below are dealt with in detail in this seminar.

The Birth Control Necklace

For basic instruction the female cycle with fertile and infertile days has to be explained using a calendar.
So the „birth control necklace“ was developed as a cycle calendar.

Each bead of the necklace symbolizes a day of the female cycle, beginning with the first day of menstruation. Fertile and infertile days are indicated by different colors. The actual day is marked by a rubber ring that is every day pushed over a bead.

birth control necklace Corresponding to the average number of cycle days the necklace consists in 30 drop-shaped beads of different colors and a rubber ring which is pulled over to the next bead every day. On account of the drop shape of the beads this is only possible in one direction. Changing the direction by mistake is thus avoided. A red bead, symbolizing the first day of the menstruation, is at the beginning. It is followed by yellow beads which - in keeping with their color (sand and desert) - indicate the infertile days. 8 blue beads - like raindrops - indicate the expected fertile days. The following 12 yellow beads of the necklace symbolize the infertile days. Increasing respectively decreasing probability of conception before and after this most fertile period is indicated by yellow/blue beads.

The colours symbolise the phases of cycle

RED	BLEEDING	MENSTRUATION
YELLOW	SAND, DROUGHT	INFERTILITY
BLUE	WATER, RAIN	FERTILITY
YELLOW/BLUE	INCREASING RESP. DECREASING	RISK OF PREGNANCY

The length of the female cycle may vary, but this has no effect on the use of the necklace; as the last days before menstruation are always infertile. It is only important to begin with the red starting bead on the first day of menstruation. It needs to be emphasized that there are always exceptions possible when using this method. The birth control necklace was distributed to 30 organizations all over the world as an easily understandable device especially for the information of illiterate people. It can be copied, it is cheap and durable.

THE BEADS ARE FORMED LIKE DROPS
THE DIRECTION, IN WHICH THE RUBBER RING HAS TO BE PUSHED, IS QUITE CLEAR (CALENDAR NECKLACE)

THE NECKLACE IS FIRMLY CLOSED
THE RUBBER RING OR INDIVIDUAL BEADS CAN NOT BE LOST

Downloads:

Poster “The Birth Control Necklace (Babyposter - pdf, 126kb)
A Personal Letter to all Women (pdf, 73kb)
Recording Sheet (pdf, 120kb)
Film “The Aktion Regen Fertility Necklace” (2 parts)

The video “The AKTION REGEN Fertility Necklace” can also be ordered in good quality as DVD, or on request as VHS-tape, for a refund of expenses of EUR 7.- (USD 10.-)
Dr. Maria Hengstberger developed this necklace together with local women in Ethiopia in 1989. Since then the necklace has been distributed by 30 organizations all over the world.

The Girl's Diary

is an illustrative cycle calendar, which originally had been developed for the education of schoolgirls in Romanian orphanages.

Download Girl's Diary - Front (jpg,201kb)
Download Girl's Diary - Reverse (pdf, 60kb)

Woman’s Cycle Symptom Calendar

provides instructions for the observation of cycle-dependent body symptoms. When used over a period of several months, the calendar will help develop awareness of body sensations („fertility awareness“).

Download Cycle Symptom Calendar (pdf, 68kb)