“Saathiya”, or the ‘trusted partner’, is a new initiative designed to help young married couples in Lucknow to make informed choices on reproductive health.

A recent household survey conducted by ‘Saathiya’ in Lucknow reveals that a majority of the women marry by 18 while a majority of men are married by 21 years of age. A vast proportion (66%) of the women age 15-19 years have had at least one pregnancy and this proportion increases to 88% by age 20-24. Overall, about 58% of all respondents reported that they had ever used a contraceptive method. In Lucknow, the condom is by far the most common method used (77%), followed by oral contraceptive pills (30%). One important finding reveals that only 13% of female respondents correctly cited the time of the month when a woman is most likely to become pregnant. Spouses and friends are the primary sources of family planning information for young married , couples, and men purchase the vast majority of contraceptives from chemist shops.

Against this backdrop, the Saathiya Program has been launched with a simple mission – to help demonstrate to young married couples that Family Planning is easy. Saathiya stands for the promise of a better life, and delivers this through trustworthy advice, dispensed with warmth and understanding, through a convenient and easily accessible network.