New hypertension eLearning & video to recognize National Women’s Blood Pressure Awareness Week

The RHNTC is recognizing National Women’s Blood Pressure Awareness Week (NWBPAW) taking place from October 17-23. The event emphasizes the importance of blood pressure control and empowering women to take simple, everyday actions to improve their heart health. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for heart disease and one of the leading—and most preventable—contributors to maternal mortality, especially among Black women. Family planning providers can play an important role in mitigating hypertension-related health outcomes, which can have a significant effect on reproductive and maternal health.

The RHNTC is excited to share two new resources just in time for NWBPAW, including a hypertension eLearning course and a short video to help providers incorporate hypertension prevention and control into family planning services. 

This new eLearning course provides foundational information on hypertension and evidence-based strategies for incorporating hypertension prevention and control into family planning services. Participants will learn about the prevalence of hypertension and its impact on overall and reproductive health, including disparities in the prevalence of hypertension and its outcomes; how to identify hypertension-related considerations and conditions that are relevant to reproductive health and family planning care; and how implement hypertension screening, prevention, and control strategies in the Title X setting.

The course includes interactive activities and videos, and participants can earn 1.5 CE credits. Register for the eLearning course.

The RHNTC recently developed two toolkits that family planning providers can use to strengthen their services.

• The Preconception Health Toolkit compiles effective strategies and supportive resources to help family planning projects review and strengthen the quality of preconception health services for Title X clients. Preconception health services aim to promote health before conception and between births to ultimately reduce pregnancy-related adverse outcomes, such as maternal morbidity and mortality, low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant mortality. Register now for our November 3rd webinar, which will provide an overview of the toolkit. 

• The Hypertension Prevention and Control Toolkit is designed to support Title X grantees and service sites in implementing best practices for hypertension prevention, diagnosis, and control in a reproductive health care setting. Register now for our December 8th webinar, which will provide lessons learned and actionable steps from providers in the field, and overview of the toolkit.