In South Sudan, conversations about sexual and reproductive health are inseparable from questions of dignity, education, maternal health, youth opportunity and access to trusted services. This is the context in which the Reproductive Health Association of South Sudan (RHASS) works. RHASS describes its vision as a South Sudanese society where everyone can access sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services and where individual choices are respected. Its history is connected to national efforts to improve reproductive health, and its work has increasingly combined direct service delivery with education, community mobilisation, youth participation, outreach and advocacy.
One important area of this work is self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning. Available RHASS, International Planned Parenthood Federation and programme documentation shows an organisation trying to move reproductive health information and care beyond a narrow clinic-only model. In Juba and Aweil East study settings, documented activities have included mixed-methods learning on DMPA-SC self-injection, uptake, continuation and the realities of rural and urban access. The underlying public-health challenge is clear: self-care can expand autonomy and continuity when it is supported by correct information, training, quality products and reliable referral systems. RHASS activities therefore matter not only because of the number of sessions, outreach channels or service points involved, but because they attempt to make health information practical, local and easier to act on.
South Sudan faces profound reproductive health pressures. Years of conflict, displacement, economic stress and weaknesses in health infrastructure have affected the availability and continuity of essential services. At the same time, social norms and misinformation can make sexual and reproductive health difficult to discuss openly. Adolescents may depend on friends for information. Women may face resistance when seeking contraception. People living far from health facilities may delay care. Persons with disabilities can encounter physical, communication and attitudinal barriers. These realities explain why a national organisation such as RHASS uses several approaches at once: facility services, mobile and community outreach, peer education, mass communication, partnerships and policy engagement.
The activities connected to self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning should be understood within that wider strategy. RHASS is not simply distributing messages. Effective sexual and reproductive health programming requires trust. A young person must feel safe enough to ask a question. A woman considering a contraceptive method needs accurate counselling and freedom from coercion. A survivor of violence needs confidentiality and respectful referral. A community leader may need evidence and repeated dialogue before challenging a long-held misconception. For RHASS, the value of mixed-methods learning on DMPA-SC self-injection, uptake, continuation and the realities of rural and urban access is that these approaches create multiple entry points into the same goal: informed choice and access to appropriate care.
Research on adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health in South Sudan has noted the limited evidence base on locally led youth empowerment programmes, while specifically identifying RHASS as an organisation that mobilises young volunteers for peer-to-peer education. This is significant. Peer education can reduce the social distance between the educator and the audience. It allows information to be discussed in language and examples that young people recognise. It also develops the leadership skills of the volunteers themselves, turning beneficiaries into advocates who can influence friends, schools and communities.
In practical terms, a RHASS activity on self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning can create space for questions that are often left unanswered. Participants may need clear explanations of puberty, menstrual health, sexually transmitted infections, HIV prevention, contraception, consent, healthy relationships, pregnancy risks and where to seek professional help. The exact content should always be appropriate to the audience and programme design, but the principle is consistent: silence does not protect people from risk. Accurate, respectful and age-appropriate information gives people a stronger basis for decisions.
The importance of referral is equally strong. Awareness alone is not enough if a person learns about a health need but cannot find a service. RHASS’s documented participation in the WISH programme illustrates the link between demand creation and service delivery. Programme information describes RHASS working through static service points, community-based distributors and outreach channels in Juba and Yei in Central Equatoria, Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Torit in Eastern Equatoria. This network has supported access to family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services while community activities help people understand that those services exist.
Under WISH-related delivery, the range of contraceptive methods described by IPPF includes oral pills, injectables, implants, condoms, intrauterine devices and emergency contraceptive pills. The presence of several methods is important because reproductive health care should not treat one method as suitable for everyone. People differ in age, health circumstances, fertility intentions, privacy needs and preferences. Quality counselling helps a client understand available options, possible side effects and when to return for follow-up. The emphasis should remain on voluntary, informed choice.
For self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning, community engagement also helps RHASS confront misinformation. Myths about contraception and sexual health can spread faster than clinical information, particularly where health systems are under pressure and trusted sources are limited. A rumour may cause fear of infertility, illness or social rejection. Repeated dialogue allows health workers and trained educators to listen to concerns rather than dismiss them. This listening function is a major strength of outreach. It helps programmes understand why people hesitate and adapt communication to the real questions being asked.
IPPF reporting on reproductive health outcomes in South Sudan has described resistance to modern family planning linked to misconceptions and patriarchal social norms. It has also reported encouraging changes, including increased numbers of family planning clients and growing use of long-acting reversible contraceptives in programme settings. These changes cannot be reduced to a single activity. They are more plausibly connected to a combination of service availability, counselling, outreach, community dialogue and gradual shifts in public understanding. RHASS’s role in this ecosystem demonstrates why consistent local engagement matters.
The setting of Juba and Aweil East study settings also matters. Programmes are strongest when they recognise that South Sudan is not one uniform audience. Urban youth, school learners, women in peri-urban communities, displaced families and people in harder-to-reach locations may face different barriers. The same message delivered in the same way will not work for everyone. RHASS’s use of mixed-methods learning on DMPA-SC self-injection, uptake, continuation and the realities of rural and urban access shows a flexible model: take information and services closer to where people already study, work, travel, gather and seek care.
Youth participation is particularly central to this model. During the COVID-19 period, Youth Action Movement members connected with RHASS conducted roadshows around market centres in Juba to share sexual and reproductive health and COVID-19 information. IPPF Africa reported that the campaign took place three days a week, with roadshows averaging four hours, and that more than 10,000 youth and adults were reached with information, especially on family planning and COVID-19 safety precautions. The example shows how youth volunteers can respond quickly when conventional channels are disrupted.
RHASS also used radio engagement during the pandemic. Working with media houses, the organisation participated in radio discussions aimed at increasing awareness of COVID-19’s impact on sexual and reproductive health. Radio is especially useful in a setting where internet access, smartphones and data costs can limit digital communication. A radio conversation can reach households, drivers, market traders and listeners outside formal health spaces. When programmes combine radio with community outreach and service referrals, public communication becomes a bridge rather than an isolated awareness exercise.
Another lesson from RHASS’s work on self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning is the need to include men and boys in appropriate ways. Reproductive health is often framed as a women’s issue, yet household decisions, relationships, social expectations and community leadership can strongly influence women’s and girls’ access to care. School-based RHASS communication has indicated that boys as well as girls are expected to participate in comprehensive sexuality education activities. Including boys can help challenge misinformation early, promote responsibility and build respect for the health and rights of others.
At the same time, programmes must preserve confidential spaces for girls, women and survivors when privacy is essential. Inclusion does not mean forcing every conversation into a mixed group. Good programme design asks who needs to be in the room, what risks participants face and whether they can speak freely. A girls’ discussion may allow questions about menstruation, harassment or pregnancy fears that participants would not raise elsewhere. A separate engagement with boys may focus on respect, consent, prevention and shared responsibility. Community sessions can then address broader norms.
Disability inclusion is another documented feature of the WISH consortium in South Sudan. RHASS and the International Rescue Committee have delivered family planning and other SRH services, while Humanity & Inclusion has provided technical support on disability inclusion. This partnership recognises that an available service is not necessarily an accessible service. A person may be excluded by stairs, inaccessible communication, stigma, assumptions about sexuality or a lack of adapted counselling. Inclusive programming requires organisations to examine those barriers deliberately.
Seen from this perspective, self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning is also a rights issue. Sexual and reproductive health and rights are grounded in the idea that people should have access to accurate information and quality services and should be able to make decisions about their bodies and reproductive lives with dignity. RHASS’s stated vision explicitly links access with respect for choices. That language is important in South Sudan, where reproductive health programmes must navigate cultural sensitivity without abandoning the principles of informed consent, confidentiality and non-discrimination.
RHASS’s work further demonstrates the importance of national organisations in humanitarian and development programming. Local organisations bring relationships, language knowledge and a long-term stake in the country’s health system. RHASS’s founding history is connected to reproductive health professionals and the earlier Sudan Family Planning Association presence in Juba. Its later growth as a South Sudanese organisation has allowed it to participate in service delivery, research, youth mobilisation and national family planning advocacy. Local leadership can make programmes more responsive and can preserve institutional knowledge beyond individual projects.
Partnership remains essential. The WISH programme in South Sudan has involved RHASS, the International Rescue Committee and Humanity & Inclusion, with broader connections to the International Planned Parenthood Federation and health authorities. RHASS has also appeared in national reproductive health and commodity-security discussions and is recognised as a national NGO by the South Sudan NGO Forum. Such partnerships can connect community realities to policy discussions, technical expertise and larger service-delivery systems.
The impact of self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning should therefore be measured in more than attendance figures. Numbers reached are useful, but programmes also need to ask whether participants understood the information, whether myths declined, whether referrals were completed, whether services were respectful, whether adolescents felt safe, whether persons with disabilities could participate and whether clients were able to make voluntary choices. For RHASS and similar organisations, strong monitoring can turn activities into learning and learning into better programmes.
There are also communication responsibilities. Sexual and reproductive health information must be medically accurate and understandable. Educators should avoid shame-based messages. They should distinguish facts from rumours, explain uncertainty when necessary and encourage professional care for symptoms or emergencies. In school and youth settings, safeguarding procedures are vital. In GBV-related work, survivor-centred principles and confidentiality are essential. In family planning, coercion must never replace counselling. These quality standards determine whether an activity builds trust or damages it.
For communities, the practical value of RHASS’s self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning work is the possibility of earlier action. A learner who understands STI prevention may seek testing or advice sooner. A woman who learns about contraceptive options may ask a trained provider which method fits her needs. A couple may discuss birth spacing with better information. A person who hears a radio discussion may recognise that a nearby service exists. A community member may challenge a harmful myth. None of these outcomes is guaranteed by a single session, but repeated access to credible information changes the environment in which decisions are made.
The road ahead remains demanding. South Sudan continues to face health-system constraints, displacement and economic pressure. Reproductive health commodities require reliable supply chains. Trained providers need support. Outreach teams need transport and security. Youth programmes need sustained investment rather than one-off events. Communities need communication in languages and formats they understand. Disability inclusion requires practical adaptation. Data systems must capture not only services delivered but who is still being missed.
RHASS’s experience suggests that progress is built through continuity. The organisation’s documented activities—from peer education and school-based CSE to radio engagement, roadshows, family planning services, community-based distribution, outreach and participation in research—show a pattern of meeting people through multiple channels. In the field of self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning, this is a sensible approach because knowledge, trust and access are interconnected. Information creates demand for care; quality care strengthens trust; trusted clients and youth advocates carry accurate messages back into communities.
For South Sudan, the broader lesson is that sexual and reproductive health is not a secondary issue. It affects maternal survival, adolescent wellbeing, education, family stability, gender equality and the ability of individuals to plan their futures. Investing in reproductive health information and services is therefore an investment in people and communities. It can help reduce preventable harm while giving women, men and young people a clearer understanding of their health and rights.
Through its work on self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning, RHASS is contributing to that national effort. The strongest feature of the documented activities is their combination of local engagement and service connection. Whether the entry point is a school discussion, a youth volunteer, a market-centre roadshow, a radio programme, a community-based distributor or a health facility, the objective is to bring accurate information and appropriate services closer to the people who need them. That is how reproductive health programmes become more than projects: they become part of a trusted public-health pathway.
As RHASS continues to develop its programmes, there is an opportunity to document more stories, publish clearer programme results and share lessons from South Sudanese communities. Detailed public reporting on locations, participant groups, referral outcomes and community feedback would strengthen visibility and learning while protecting client confidentiality. It would also help schools, donors, government institutions and partner organisations understand which approaches are producing the strongest results.
Ultimately, the story of self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning is a story about access and agency. RHASS’s public vision is a society in which sexual and reproductive health information and services are available and people’s choices are respected. The activities described in public sources show practical efforts toward that vision. The challenge is to sustain them, improve quality, reach those still excluded and keep young people and communities at the centre of the response. In a country where reproductive health needs remain urgent, that work is both immediate and long-term.
Why this programme area matters
The importance of self-care and self-injectable contraception research and learning becomes clearer when viewed through the everyday barriers that shape health decisions. People do not make reproductive health choices in a vacuum. They respond to family expectations, cost, transport, rumours, previous experiences with health workers and the level of privacy available to them. RHASS activities are most useful when they acknowledge these realities and create a respectful pathway from information to counselling and, where needed, clinical care.
A community-centred model
The public record of RHASS programming points to a community-centred model rather than a single-campaign approach. In Juba and Aweil East study settings, the combination of mixed-methods learning on DMPA-SC self-injection, uptake, continuation and the realities of rural and urban access allows different groups to encounter information in different ways. Someone who is uncomfortable asking a question during a public session may later speak privately to a peer educator or provider. Someone who first hears a message on radio may recognise the same information during outreach. Repetition across trusted channels can improve recall and confidence.
Building sustainability
Sustainability will depend on strengthening South Sudanese leadership, maintaining trained staff and volunteers, securing commodities, supporting data quality and continuing collaboration with health authorities and technical partners. It also means listening to communities. Feedback from adolescents, women, persons with disabilities, men and boys can reveal whether services are truly accessible and respectful. The future of RHASS programming will be strongest when programme design continues to be informed by the people it is intended to serve.
Research Sources Used
RHASS official website: https://rhass.org.ss/
RHASS About Us: https://rhass.org.ss/about-us/
IPPF – South Sudan / WISH programme: https://www.ippf.org/countries/south-sudan
IPPF – Encouraging shifts in reproductive health outcomes in South Sudan: https://www.ippf.org/featured-perspective/south-sudan-encouraging-shifts-reproductive-health-outcomes
IPPF Africa – Youth-led roadshows addressing SRHR gaps in Juba: https://africa.ippf.org/blogs/youth-led-roadshows-addressing-srhr-gaps-caused-covid-19-juba-south-sudan
IPPF Africa – Using radio to promote SRHR during COVID-19: https://africa.ippf.org/blogs/using-radio-promote-srhr-during-covid-19-case-reproductive-health-association-south-sudan
BMJ Open / PMC – Policies, programmes and research on adolescent and youth SRH in South Sudan: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11784325/
Airbel Impact Lab – Self-managed contraception in South Sudan: https://airbel.rescue.org/projects/self-managed-contraception-in-south-sudan/
PSI Self-Care Learning & Discovery Series – DMPA-SC learning: https://media.psi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/04103003/Self-injectable-contraception_Self-Care-Learning-and-Discovery-Series-2023.pdf
South Sudan NGO Forum – National NGO membership: https://southsudanngoforum.org/membership/national/