TCI University’s newest online course captures the basics of family planning in one global overview. Since the advent of safe, effective modern methods of contraception, family planning has saved and improved millions of lives around the world. However, renewed efforts are needed to reach marginalized adolescent girls and women who want to avoid or space pregnancy, respond to needs in low fertility contexts, and expand access through innovation.

In honor of World Contraception Day on Sept. 26, The Challenge Initiative (TCI) is launching a new Family Planning Basics Mini-Course on TCI University (TCI-U) to provide a comprehensive exploration of the basics of family planning. This course aims to share a broad overview of the essential elements of family planning programs, including global commitments, a range of technical topics, addressing country contexts, and programming solutions.

Universal access to family planning is a target of the Sustainable Development Goals. Family planning is a development “best buy” that has a high return on every dollar invested. It is the foundation of sexual and reproductive health and rights, with far-reaching benefits to maternal and newborn health, gender equality, and education and income prospects for women and girls. Access to contraception is critical to the ability of young people – married or not – to fulfill their aspirations and potential.

From the technical to the transformational, this course consolidates core content to energize new learners and global health advocates, and inform family planning  programming. The Mini-Course has four modules that provide an introduction to the impact, issues, and interventions associated with family planning information and services:

• Module 1: What Is Family Planning?
• Module 2: Technical Topics
• Module 3: At the Local Level
• Module 4: Family Planning Resources

Resources include personal videos and stories, as well as tools, guidance, and a glossary. Brief quizzes at the end of each module lead users to test their knowledge and earn a certificate from TCI-U.

Who is this course for? 

Global health program implementers will find the mini-course and its resources highly relevant and valuable for understanding the many aspects of family planning and its linkages to positive health and economic outcomes. 

Local government partners will find that the course contextualizes efforts to scale up high-impact practices and other interventions for family planning and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

Take the FP Basics Course and learn more 

The infographic below provides more detail on the material available within each component.