About the Curriculum Initiative for Reproductive Health

For many reasons, health professions curricula typically do not train future providers to address issues such as abortion care, contraception, and sexuality in practice.^1,2 These and other reproductive health issues commonly emerge across the lifespan, making it essential that providers have the skills to sensitively and respectfully address these issues with patients.³

The goal of the Curriculum Initiative for Reproductive Health is to improve the way comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health information is taught in US medical schools and training programs for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants. The Initiative continues the work that began in 1994 through the Reproductive Health Initiative of the American Medical Women’s Association, which was transferred to ARHP in 2005.

Current Initiative topics include:

Abortion care Contraception Emergency contraception HIV/AIDS Infertility Menopause

Menstruation Pregnancy Reproductive cancers Reproductive genetics Sex and sexuality Sexually transmitted infections

By facilitating the integration of this information into mainstream health professions curricula, ARHP is helping to normalize reproductive health services and expand the pool of providers who can deliver quality care to patients. More topics are planned as ARHP expands the Initiative.

The Initiative is guided by a dedicated advisory committee and panels of peer reviewers who are experts in the fields of reproductive health and health professions education.

All Initiative resources are provided free of charge through the ARHP Web site. Users are encouraged to cite the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals as their source.

This project is currently funded through grants from the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

References

1 . Espey E, Ogburn T, Chavez A, et al. Abortion education in medical schools: A national survey. AJOG ; 2005; 192(2): 640-3.

2 . Foster AM, Polis C, Allee MK, et al. Abortion education in nurse practitioner, physician assistant and certified nurse–midwifery programs: A national survey. Contraception ; 2006; 73(4): 408-14.

3 . Tsimtsiou Z, Hatzimouratidis K, Nakopoulou E, et al. Predictors of physicians’ involvement in addressing sexual health issues. J Sex Med; 2006; 3(4): 583-8.