If you are a young couple, getting married or newly married, and like to know more about sexual health, contraceptives or family planning or, even wedding planning, you don’t need to scramble for information anymore. Launched by Sunaulo Parivar, implementation partner of Marie Stopes, Newlywed Subharambha App and Website provide all the related information.

Newly married couples demand a lot of supportive information tips in their life. From shopping for wedding and preventing unintended pregnancy, every bit of information is important.  

At a time when the demand for integrated sexual health and family planning service by young people is growing, Sunaulo Parivar Nepal has come up with the newlywed app and website to provide the service.

 "We have never thought about participating in a program where we would be sharing a great time with each other. Till now we were not able to open up with each other. This event has shown us another side of our relationship. There was a communication gap in our relationship. From now onwards, we will communicate with each other. Thank you for getting us closer," shared a newlywed couple Rajesh and Sita, who attended the newlywed events in phase I.

Mahesh Thakur, a barber and father of four children has a different story to share.   “I was worried every time I slept with my wife. We now have four children. There was nobody to explain all these necessary information with me (protection against unwanted pregnancy); where could I have gone? Things might have been different if I had found someone who could have told me the importance of Reproductive Health/Family Planning 5 years back,” shared Thakur, participating in Phase I program.

The website also includes blogs of others going through the journey of planning a wedding and all the emotions that encompass this journey along with stories on love, relationship, marriage, family and much more. The website also encompasses information that newlyweds should be aware of including sexual and reproductive health related information such as contraceptives, safe abortion and sexual health.

The main attraction of the website is the wedding planner tool. In order to make this process more accessible for you, the mobile application which you can download with a click on your mobile will allow you to receive reminders on appointments and it will definitely make the wedding planning process a tad bit less stressful, said the website.

With high early marriage rates and low use of FP modern method among youth in Asia, including Nepal, (less than 15%), many couples begin their marriages ill equipped to plan their families. As a result many young couples end up giving unwanted and untimed birth at tender age. With high early marriage rates and low modern method use among youth (<15%), many couples begin their marriages ill-equipped to plan their families. FP is not a priority for young couples and the information they receive from their friends/family is not comprehensive and most times inaccurate.

A comprehensive targeted communication package and increase in FP uptake will reduce untimed and unwanted pregnancy among youths. In the focus group discussion that we conducted among newly engaged and newlywed couples, we found that in-laws (mainly father in law and mother in-law) expectations in relation to cultural values in Nepalese society are related to the couple’s barriers in delaying first pregnancy.

“Following the success of newlywed project phase I, we are re-introducing the newlywed project phase II to target urban couples by introducing the website and app which will provide information necessary to plan a wedding and a family,” said Satyajit Pradhan – Director - Marketing and Communications.

“Our newlywed project carefully targets a new segment of the youth market with high need using a new resource (wedding industry providers) and new approach to providing FP messages and resources to couples planning to marry. We provide orientations to the wedding industry providers as well as the newlywed identified through them. In addition to orientations, we also conduct events where the newlyweds can attend and enjoy an evening of fun as well as gain valuable information regarding sexual and reproductive health,” said Pradhan.

As unmet need among the adolescent and young is particularly high for spacing with 37.5 and 23.5 percent respectively, there are a lot of challenges in reproductive health.

According to a report, unmet need for family planning stood at 25.2 in 2014. When the couples are planning their wedding, they require family planning information services. Here Newlywed App and Website fulfill their needs.

 Addressing the inauguration program, country director of Marie Stopes Nepal Sophie Hodder highlighted the importance of the Newlywed App and website for newlywed couples in Nepal.

“This web will help to reduce the unintended pregnancy of young couples,” said Hodder. She said Marie Stopes will continue to support Nepal to increase access to family planning methods.

 Sunaulo Parivar Nepal, implementation partner of Marie Stopes has been working in Nepal since last many years in the areas of safe abortion, reproductive health and family planning sector. Sunaulo Parivar Nepal has as provided services to more than half a million people.

Focus group discussions conducted by Maries Stopes Nepal revealed that family planning is not a priority for young couples and the information they receive come from their friends/ family which may not be comprehensive and accurate.

 “This Newlywed App and web will increase access to comprehensive information on sexual and reproductive health. This is a comprehensive targeted communication packages,” said Anjana KC – Project Manager, Sunaulo Parivar Nepal, implementing partner of Marie Stopes International Nepal.

“At a time when the unmet needs of family planning continue to be a major hurdle to further reduce MRR, Newlywed App and web sites will fulfill the information gaps. Since last many years, Sunaulo Parivar Nepal implementing partner of Marie Stopes International Nepal has been supporting Nepal government in the areas of safe abortion, reproductive health and unmet need,” said Ghanshyam Pokharel, Chief of Youth and Family Planning Division Ministry of Health and Population.

“The inception of Newlywed-Subharambha Project concept aimed to reach out to young couples who are planning their conjugal lives but may not have necessarily though of planning their family,” said Satyajit Pradhan – Director - Marketing and Communications. “Newlywed Phase II mainly targets the urban newly elected population as they are fairly responsive to the use of technology. The website attempts to instill the culture of planning a wedding as well as a family. The mobile app allows users to set appointments with the vendors for which the user will receive alerts about the appointment.”

The App and website have checklists for wedding planning and blogs containing articles on love, sex, relations and marriage. Newlywed Phase II mainly targets the urban newlywed population as they are fairly responsive to the use of technology. “We have introduced a website (www.newlywed.org.np) which is accompanied by a mobile phone application that strives to address the gap resulting from lack of spousal communication, comprehensive information and lack of planning culture in Nepal by introducing sexual reproductive health and family planning information as an integral part of the overall wedding planning,” said a press release.