Our Programs: Interconception Education
The Interconception Education Program increases post pregnancy access to health care and provides education and counseling on the benefits of spacing pregnancies 24 months apart. Education and counseling services are provided at the Prenatal Outreach Center, at home, and/or at clinic visits. Education and counseling services are delivered using the Florida Department of Health’s statewide best practice comprehensive curriculum, which is culturally sensitive.
The curriculum content has a prevention based focus designed to reduce factors that are associated with poor birth outcomes of any subsequent pregnancies. The sessions include education and counseling on:
- access to post pregnancy health care
- baby spacing/family planning
- nutrition
- physical activity
- maternal infections
- chronic health problems
- substance abuse
- smoking
- mental health
- and environmental risk factors
- to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of men and women related to preconception health
- to assure that all women of childbearing age in the United States receive interconception care services (i.e., evidence-based risk screening, health promotion, and interventions) that will enable them to enter pregnancy in optimal health
- to reduce risks indicated by a previous adverse pregnancy outcome through interventions during the interconception period, which can prevent or minimize health problems for a mother and her future children
- and to reduce the disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes
