Articles about Aruba

Famia Planea Aruba (FPA) saw a gap in the market and developed its online store to better reach clients like Hilyann, a journalist, with an active lifestyle and work schedule.  FPA’s online store is open to members and non-members where they shop for their favorite FPA product in a worry- and hassle-free environment from the comfort of their own home, office, school or even on the go. Being able to order products online saves time and also supports those clients with limited access to transport.  “As a young professional, one of the challenges I often face is balancing my profession with my active lifestyle and practicing self-care. This is why I couldn’t be happier with FPA’s online store”, Hilyann says. The visually appealing online store is available in the local Aruban language, Papiamento. The site has been designed to provide quick access to various contraceptive methods, with supporting information to help clients make choices based on their needs. “It is so convenient and allows me to manage my time more efficiently, making it so much easier to be conscious of the necessary efforts with regards to my reproductive health. Above all, it allows me to focus on my personal goals, all while making the right choices when it comes to family planning”, she adds. Clients can browse a range of products and add their selections to the cart. At the check-out clients fill in their preferred time, date, and location for delivery. A confirmation email will be sent to the client while FPA starts to prepare the order for delivery.  “Shopping on the FPA online store makes me feel very in control and empowered. I hope that more people of all ages take advantage of this service. I hear far too often that people say they don’t have time, nobody has actually, but FPA is there for you. Take control of your sexual and reproductive health, empower yourself, be the boss of your time and your body”.

Dear colleagues, As part of the global community that has worked in opposition to the global gag rule, we hope your organization will consider joining this sign-on statement in support of permanently ending the global gag rule. This statement recognizes international solidarity across sectors and geographies and urgently calls to end the global gag rule once and for all. As you know, this harmful policy disrupts access to health care services and information, silences health care providers and advocates, and undermines progress toward health equity.  While President Biden has rescinded the global gag rule for now, the policy’s chilling effect lives on due to fear that it will be reinstated by a future U.S. president. Permanent repeal is urgently needed to promote sustainable progress on global health and to build and maintain long-term partnerships.  We hope you will consider sharing your support for a permanent repeal of the global gag rule by signing on to this statement. To sign on your organization, please fill out this form by Friday May 21 and encourage other supportive partners to join you via secure listservs (please do not share the form publicly on social media). The statement from groups around the world will be made public and organizations who sign will receive a toolkit to promote the statement with your networks.  Let us know if you have any questions. We will share translated versions for wider distribution in the coming days. Thank you for your work to advance health and human rights around the world. In solidarity, Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General, International Planned Parenthood Federation  Dawn Laguens, Interim Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Global 

The inspiration for delivering comprehensive sexuality education to young people digitally was propelled by the COVID-19 lockdown. Like other frontline healthcare providers, Famia Planea Aruba (FPA) was faced with unforeseen challenges about how to continue reaching their communities. Undeterred, the small team of four embraced the challenge to create, develop, and launch FPA’s first Online Puberty Educational News Program (OPEN).  With a background in marketing and extensive management experience, FPA’s Executive Director Evelyn Yarzagaray, led the project and team to successfully bring the digital platform to life.  “In the last few years, FPA’s in-school Comprehensive Sexuality Education program was growing rapidly, and then all of a sudden we hit a wall; our Island was in complete lockdown and all schools were closed. At first, we were very sad, since we were fully booked for the upcoming few months, and would lose the opportunity to reach thousands of young people”, Evelyn remembers.  Typically, during April and May FPA usually focuses on students between the ages of 11 and 13 and supporting with the transition from elementary school to secondary school. At this age young people are starting to experience changes to their bodies and hormones.  “We were all of a sudden bombarded with parents who started requesting one-on-one counseling sessions for their kids, but due to safety regulations, this was not an easy option. That was when we started looking for a way to reach both parent and child in the safety of their own homes. By converting materials used during our in-person CSE’s we developed an educational video that can be viewed by both parent and child”, says Evelyn The OPEN platform has been designed with a colorful background, emojis, and animation to appeal to its target audience. Users can access valuable information through the FAQ section, international news, and video content such as an interview with a Family Physician.  “The filming and editing were the longest and most difficult part of the entire process, but once it was launched, we immediately saw that is was completely worth it, reaching over 42,000 people on social media”, Evelyn says.   

Accessibility to information and contraceptives has always been a priority for Famia Planea Aruba (FPA), whether through the office, delivery service, or in schools.  For over fifteen years FPA has worked in partnership with one of the largest secondary schools on the island. The FPA team visits the school on a monthly basis to provide guidance, counseling, and contraceptive care to students and to help ensure they stay in school to complete their education.  “One of my first experiences providing comprehensive sex education, with FPA was at the EPB School during my education as a social worker, many years later I still very much enjoy this”, says Richenella, FPA’s Finance and IEC support staff. FPA’s client is at the heart of its healthcare provision. FPA staff work with students to build trust and ensure they feel safe to talk openly. This helps to provide a sense of consistency for the student, as well as efficiency for the team being familiar with specific students and cases. They are better able to notice if something changes, and if a student needs a referral to a medical doctor or other organization for additional treatment. “The consultations are always fun; you get a change of scenery by stepping out of the office. Over the years you see so many faces and still, somehow you manage to remember most of them. After just a few visits you can start to build a profile of most students, you can start to tell who the class clown is, the Mister Popular, the shy one, the loud one, and the one who just wants to take his time to avoid going back to class”, Richenella laughs.  

  Famia Planea Aruba (FPA) places great value on the relationship they have with Adriana, the social worker at EPB San Nicolas School. Adriana is the person who has the most contact with the students, and the one most students turn to when they need help.  “I’ve been the Social Worker at EPB San Nicolas for about fourteen years and have been working with FPA throughout my entire career here. It has always been a pleasure to work with them, they are very accommodating to whatever project we have going on. Each year we have an educational carousel for the first-year students, and we have always been able to count on FPA to provide information to our students. The Comprehensive Sexuality Education program is always fun, informative, and evolving. I, as well as other colleagues, try to catch at least one CSE session each year to see what innovative way the information is presented.” EPB is a secondary vocational school that educates young people from 12 to 18 years. Over the years it has developed a reputation for having challenging students. Adriana knows the students better than most of the teaching staff and is a firm advocate for the continuation of the on-the-spot-consultations, having seen the consequences when this type of care is not offered.  For registered youth under 21 years, the costs of healthcare provision are covered by the national health insurance, however, some students fall outside of the system. “Most of the times you get to have fun with the students, however, every now and then you will come across a heartbreaking case. Since Aruba has so many different migrants, very often you will come across one person who is not insured at the moment, who needs products and can’t afford it and you figure out a way to help”, Adriana says. “For our second, third- and fourth-year students FPA has been collaborating with us to provide a monthly session where the students receive contraceptives and guidance on school grounds. Since around this age, most of our students are already sexually active, we try to help them stay safe in and out of school. The consultations hours have become so popular over the years that as soon as the students see an FPA team member, they immediately assume that they are here to provide them with contraceptives and guidance, even if they are here for some completely different reason that day”, she comments. “The love, patience, and dedication that FPA has shown our students over the years are outstanding. At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis we had to stop the consultation hours, but thankfully we are now back at it, bigger and better. Due to the collaboration with FPA, we were able to finish out our 2018-2019 school year with no new pregnancies, which was a first for our school. We hope to accomplish this again, now that we can continue our consultations, and keep our kids educated and in school, for as long as we can so they can achieve the best possible future”, Adriana concludes.  

Dr. Stewart McKoy has dedicated his life to ensuring the needs of both men and women are equally represented in the provision of healthcare at the Jamaica Family Planning Association (JFPA). When Dr. McKoy returned to Jamaica from overseas medical studies in the 1980s, the frustration at the failure of many Jamaican males to use contraception was a continuing concern. This led to him making a strong case for vasectomies to be offered as part of JFPA’s contraceptive options. Whilst the initial response from local males was disheartening, Dr. McKoy took the grassroots approach to get the buy-in of males to consider contraception use. Getting men on board “Someone once said it’s only by varied reiteration that unfamiliar truths can be introduced to reluctant minds. We used to go out into the countryside and give talks. In those times, I came down heavily on men. I remember after one talk, when I was finished, the driver of the JFPA van said they [men] didn’t like what I was saying. I saw a bar outside and went, carried them in, and said drinks on me. By the second round they opened up and were receptive,” he said. The reception would form the catalyst he needed to ensure that men, too, benefitted from sexual and reproductive healthcare. Men were choosing vasectomies if they already had children and didn’t plan to have any more. In addition, Dr. McKoy was an instrumental voice in the Men’s Clinic that was formerly operated by JFPA and also encouraged the inclusion of women at the meetings, in order to increase male participation and uptake of healthcare. “When we as men get sick with our prostate it is women who are going to look after us. But we have to put interest in our own self to offset it before it puts us in that situation where we can’t help yourself. It came down to that and the males eventually started coming. The health education got out and men started confiding more in health services,” he said.   It could be a matter of life or death McKoy said it is important that women use contraception and take their sexual and reproductive health seriously. If neglected, Dr McKoy said it could be a matter of life or death. He refers to a case of a young mother who was complacent towards having pap smears and ended up dying a preventable death as a result of cervical cancer. “Over the years I saw the opportunity to do pap smears out of the clinic. The mobile unit gave us access to so many patients. We had persons who neglected to do it. One patient in particular - she was not yet 30 years old. She had three children and after every delivery, she was told by the hospital to do a pap smear. She didn’t do it and eventually got cervical cancer. When she was to do the pap smear, she didn’t come. One morning they brought her and had to lift her up out of the car. At that time doctors said they couldn’t do anything for her,” Dr. McKoy said while fighting back tears. “It wasn’t necessary. We had to go out more to meet people, educate them teach them the importance of sexual and reproductive health.” That experience was his driving force to continue the work in sexual and reproductive healthcare. Dr. McKoy said the message about family planning, sexual and reproductive health must be continued through education in community outreach projects.

Haz click aquí para leer esta historia en español. On July 12th, the Dutch Supreme Court validated same sex marriage in Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Maarten, emphasizing that prohibiting same-sex marriage violates the constitutional ban on discrimination. The court’s decision upholds a ruling from September 2021, which had been challenged by both countries.   IPPF ACRO and FPA urge the governments of Aruba and Curaçao to promptly comply with the Supreme Court's decision as it is a matter of fundamental rights. Ensuring adherence to this ruling is essential for the protection and equality of the LGBTQI+ community.  Coming after Aruba’s parliament rejected the marriage equality bill almost a month ago, this ruling continues a trend in the region to legalize and protect LGBTQI+ populations. FPA and Famia Plania, IPPF Members in Aruba and Curaçao, has for decades advocated and supported efforts towards LGBTQI+ equality, with quality sexual and reproductive health services provision as well as community articulation.   “This positive outcome is a major step towards visibility, rights and access to health, such as sexual and reproductive services for all LGBTQI+ people in the Dutch Caribbean. At FPA, we are deeply committed towards inclusion, and as we celebrate this ruling, we will continue using our voices to advocate for social change,” states Evelyn Yarzagaray, Executive Director of FPA, IPPF Member Association in Aruba.

Haz click aquí para leer este texto en español.  By FPA Staff   FPA, IPPF Member Association in Aruba, is a proud ally of the LGBTQI+ community every day of the year and above all, during pride month. This deeply rooted support is always factored in our daily operations and is an extra reminder to always strive for inclusivity.   FPA was established in 1970 with the purpose of providing contraception to help reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, this was embedded in the name itself: Famia Planea Aruba. In the years that followed, this mindset shifted to include education and inclusion, with relevant initiatives to build and support the LGBTQI+ ‘s communities   population in the country.   FPA works inclusively in every aspect of our daily operations and for the past few years has been a key part of the local pride celebrations. We support LGBTQI+ organizations such as Orguyo, lending our social media platform reach to help spread their advocacy movement and updates. We are also a staple of the local cultural center’s annual pride celebrations, a weekend packed with pride related shows and events. FPA is a requested partner to help educate the community on inclusion and safe sex practices. We believe everyone has the right to experience pleasure in their sexual endeavors, and sharing safety practices has been a pivotal opportunity for FPA to contribute to the wellbeing of LGBTQI people in our community.  We are also in the developmental stage of contextualizing and implanting a multi-year educational curriculum for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, CSE. By connecting our educational goals, specifically for the area of personal development, we will be able to start with the provision of CSE and information about diversity and inclusion at an early age, adapted accordingly. This project will bring the opportunity to broaden the sexual and reproductive health and rights scope within the educational curriculums and will have a meaningful impact on tackling stigma related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.  In 2019, Famia Planea Aruba underwent a rebranding process to be more inclusive and modern. The original logo, a house with a mother, father and child was replaced by a symbol of stairs, which symbolizes FPA’s commitment with our community, including the LGBTQ+ population in Aruba, to elevate and contribute to the quality of life of each human being. One of the biggest changes in the rebranding process was the choice to lessen the use of the name Famia Planea, but not detach from it completely as it is a well-known name that holds a rich history and links us to the international SRHR movement. With these elements in mind, it was chosen to instead use the abbreviation FPA, keeping our history while making way for the future.    Advocating in community spaces  On June 7th, 2024, FPA was part of the first Queer and Cozy event, organized by the cultural center and developed to be the first of a series of annual pride celebrations. A cozy ambiance was the setting to bring together members of the community of all ages and backgrounds. This year’s edition hosted a relatively small event filled with information, poetry, art and a fun drag bingo to end on a high note.   On June 22nd, 2024, FPA was also part of the conference “Mental Health in the LGBTIQA+ Community”, an initiative from a private psychologist in partnership with the local university, the event focused on the mental health aspect of the community. This event was impactful and beneficial to the cause.   This year, in addition to kicking off the pride celebrations, we also had the pleasure of closing the celebrations. We were invited by the “Aruba Gay Guide” to present during the final pride party, were we partnered with two local Internist and infectious disease specialist. In yet another groundbreaking movement, FPA presented an educational session about safe sex practices with the back-up of physicians specializing in infectious diseases, in a night club party on June 29th, 2024.     A national perspective  FPA has made meaningful strides in advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights for LGBTQI+ people in their community. However, laws do not entirely support lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex rights in Aruba. For example, even though registered partnerships have been available for opposite-sex and same-sex couples since November 2021, same-sex marriage has not been made legal yet. Most recently, on June 19th, 2024, the Aruban parliament did not pass the marriage equality bill, causing the proposal to be dismissed as it has not reached majority in two consecutive votes. We are now waiting for the Dutch Supreme Court ruling on July 12th, 2024, for the final verdict, this promises to be a positive one as the Netherlands already has this law in place making it highly unlikely that they would rule differently for Aruba.     About FPA FPA was established in 1970, by a group of physicians who saw the need for accessibility to contraceptives. FPA envisions a community that is conscious about its sexual and reproductive health and rights in general.  FPA’s mission is to promote the rights of, and accessibility to, services, information and education about contraceptives and sexual health in general to the community of Aruba, without any discrimination regarding race, religion, political or sexual orientation.  FPA provides over 73,000 SRHR services to over 7,000 clients every year. FPA does not provide clinical services, but rather focuses on comprehensive sexuality education, provision of contraceptives and social enterprise which has grown substantially since the introduction of their delivery service. 

Famia Planea Aruba (FPA) is proud to be able to serve over 7,000 clients and celebrated its 50th anniversary in November 2020. FPA strives to live up to the motto, ‘Improving your quality of life’, by ensuring its healthcare provision is accessible to everyone.  One regular client is Christopher, an account manager at a local marketing agency. “I am truly a big fan of FPA, they are really good at being inclusive to men as well as women. The entire staff is very client orientated, I have never felt judged or discriminated against while using any of their services, or while at their office. They are always ready to answer any questions I may have or ease any concern.” FPA has built a strong bond of trust and communication with its clients by sharing regular updates on their work and projects.  “I try as much as possible to stay up-to-date with FPA, I have followed all of their projects so far and have really enjoyed them. I can still remember when I was younger and had my first girlfriend, FPA was my go-to for information, guidance, tips and tricks. They are very good at adapting to each situation, whether it is personal, local or even global”.  FPA places great emphasis on listening to the community it supports to better understand their needs. This enables the team to provide their clients with carefully researched and targeted healthcare.  “Over the years, FPA has gone above and beyond to provide both myself and my partner with information and contraceptives. Over the last few years, in addition to visiting their office, I can follow-up my consultation by asking them additional questions through their social media counseling or even the delivery service”, says Christopher.