“Will it make me infertile?”
A young woman sitting next to me asked quietly, avoiding eye contact, her hands trembling, her eyes searching for reassurance. She has heard stories from friends and relatives, consumed health information through the media, and heard endless myths circulating in her community. Today, she has come seeking answers.
This is the question that dominates the day’s conversations.
As a Family Planning provider, my days are rarely predictable. Before lunch hour, I may counsel a mother who has decided to space her next pregnancy, or support a young woman seeking a method for the first time, or answer questions from a couple planning their future together. Each client walks in with a different story, but they all have one thing in common: to make informed choices about their lives.
The consultation room often becomes more than a clinical space. It becomes a safe space where fears are expressed, myths are dispelled, and confidence begins to build. Sometimes, the most important thing I offer is not a contraceptive method, but a listening ear.
Outside the consultation room, the clinic is busy. Reporting tools and registers are to be filed and summarised, and orders are to be placed or received. Amid the rush, there’s system downtime, and the queue never seems to get shorter. Nevertheless, some moments remind me why this work matters.
Sometimes it’s a client who returns months later, smiling as she says, “The method is working well for me.” Other times, it’s a mother who tells me how spacing her pregnancies has helped her regain her strength, better care for her children, or even return to work or school.
Those conversations may only last a few minutes, but they remind me why I do this work.
Family planning is about so much more than preventing pregnancy. It is about giving people the information and support they need to make decisions that are right for their lives. It is about health, opportunity, and hope for the future.
As providers, we are often part of deeply personal moments. We listen to concerns, answer difficult questions, and help clients navigate choices that can shape their futures. Every client who walks through the door brings a unique story, and each deserves to be met with respect, empathy, and understanding.
As the clinic quiets down and the day comes to an end, I often think about the many people I met. Some arrived feeling unsure or anxious. Others left feeling reassured and confident in their decision. Every story matters.
Tomorrow, new clients will arrive with new questions.
And once again, the conversation will begin with a simple question and the opportunity to change a life.
Navakholo Sub-county Hospital is one of the health facilities that inSupply is supporting through the DISC Project, with funding from PSI and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, to strengthen service readiness for the delivery of high-quality, person-centered contraceptive counselling and DMPA-SC self-injection (SI) services.
Provider – Elizabeth Misigo (FP Nurse – Navakholo Sub-county Hospital)
