Paid opportunity - become a co-researcher!

• Are you a young woman or young person who menstruates, aged between 16-18?

• Do you live in Greenwich?

•  Do you like talking with other people and hearing about their experiences?

• Would you like to get paid to work on an exciting new project about contraceptive health and awareness?

If yes – read on!

What is a co-researcher?

A co-researcher is someone with lived experience that joins a research team as an equal contributor in the design, delivery, and development of a research project. You may have experience using contraception, so you are an expert by experience. We value your expertise as a co-researcher, and the equal but different perspectives you can bring to the project.

What is this project about?

We want to find out what young people (aged under 18) who use or may use hormonal contraception think about their contraceptive choices, in particular their views and experiences with long-acting reversible contraception (LARC).

This includes:

• Implant – small rod inserted into the upper arm

• IUS, and IUD - small devices that are put into the womb (uterus) We know that only a very small proportion of young women and those who menstruate under 18 use LARC, and we want to understand why.

What will I do as a co-researcher?

You’ll be finding and talking to other young people (aged under 18) about their contraception choices, either face-to-face, online, or on the telephone. As co-researcher, we want your help to:

• Create the interview format and the questions you’ll be asking

• Develop the survey

• Design social media posts/flyers/posters and tell us the best places to share them

• Find young women and young people who menstruate to speak to

• Find out what’s important to young people when choosing contraception

• Write up what you hear from the young people you speak to

We’ll also want you to come along to co-researcher training, support, and development sessions.

You’ll be carrying out interviews and surveys during September onwards, finishing by the end of October. Once the project is complete, you’ll be invited to share your findings and talk about your role in the project.

What training do co-researchers get?

We’ll take you through everything you need to know, including:

• What is co-produced research

• How to conduct interviews

• How to write up your interview notes

• How to collect survey data

• How to maintain confidentiality

• How to present your findings to an audience

How else will I benefit?

• We’ll train and support you to be a co-researcher – see ‘what training do co-researchers get?’

• You can use your existing skills – and learn new ones.

• You can put your involvement on your CV.

• You can find out if research is a career you’d like to pursue.

• Involvement can help to build your confidence.

• It can feel good contributing to make a difference.

• You can meet new people and build networks with your peers

• The research you help co-produce can improve contraceptive services for young women and young people who menstruate.