About the course

Course Design:
Self-directed. 

Duration: 
It will take you 6-8 hours to complete. 

Eligibility for this course: 

  • The following healthcare workers in the Western Cape:
    • Professional nurses to become authorised to provide contraception
    • Primary care nurse specialists and doctors to become SRH trained providers

Accreditation: 
8 general CEU's on Level 1, according to the SANC and HPCSA’s  guidelines.

Certification: 
Participants need 80% pass mark for final quiz.

Published: 
February 2025

If you meet the eligibility criteria, apply to start:

Your supervisor details are required

Apply to enroll

Course outline

The following topics are covered in this course:

1. SRH background

  • Sexual and reproductive health definition
  • SRH training programme aims
  • The importance of family planning
  • Factors influencing contraception use
  • Staff roles in providing contraception services
  • Contraceptives and TOP services available at different levels of healthcare


2. Female reproductive anatomy and the menstrual cycle

  • External anatomy of the female reproductive tract
  • Phases of the menstrual cycle
  • How to calculate on which day of her cycle the client is


3. The contraception consultation

  • Preparing for a contraception consultation
  • Contraception-related assessment, advice and treatment
  • The 4-step approach
  • WHO MEC wheel
  • Follow-up


4. Deciding on a contraceptive method

  • The emergency contraceptive pill (ECP)
  • Oral contraception (combined oral contraceptives and the progestogen-only pill)
  • Injectable contraceptives
  • The subdermal implant
  • Intra-uterine devices (copper and LNG IUDs)
  • Female and male sterilisation
  • Contraceptive methods not provided or promoted in the government sector:
    • Fertility awareness methods (calendar- and symptom-based methods)
    • Withdrawal method
    • Barrier methods other than condoms (diaphragms and cervical caps) and spermicides
  • Ethics
    • The essential elements of informed consent/choice in contraception
    • The age of consent for SRH related services in South Africa
    • The age of consent for sexual acts involving minors and when to report/break confidentiality
  • Contraception for clients with special considerations
    • Post-partum, breastfeeding and post-miscarriage/TOP
    • Adolescents
    • Clients living with HIV
  • Planning a pregnancy
    • Assessment, advice and treatment of the client planning a pregnancy
  • Infertility
    • Definition
    • Which medical conditions cause female and male infertility
    • When to refer a client/couple with infertility
  • Menopause/when to stop contraception


5. Basics of MTOP

  • What is TOP?
  • Where can TOPs be done?
  • Who can provide TOP?
  • Conscientious objection to TOPs
  • Responsibilities of the conscientious objector
  • Consent for TOP
  • Until which gestational age can TOPs be done

 


6. Providing MTOP

  • Assessment of the client requesting TOP
  • Determining gestational age
  • Pre-TOP counselling
  • Regimens of MTOP drugs, including prescription details
  • Follow-up of a client who has had a TOP - monitoring for complications and post-TOP counselling
  • Documentation of TOPs

 


7. Monitoring and evaluation

  • Data to record on contraception services
  • Completing an ADR form



 

This course was developed by the Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU) of the University of Cape Town and The Health Foundation South Africa (THF).