[Education in reproductive health: proposal or reality in the Family Health Program?]

As supervisors of primary health care units in the State of Ceará, Brazil, we have observed a low supply of health education services. As part of the activities under the Family Health Program (FHP), we attempted to investigate the causes of this short supply and identify flaws in the development of such activities. Interviews and participatory observation were adopted as the research method. The following causes were defined in the lack of health education practices: disorganization of demand, insufficient coverage of the population by FHP teams, resistance by both health professionals and the population to educational activities, absence of adequate floor space for conducting such activities, and lack of support materials. The following flaws were identified in the implementation of activities: limited exchange of experiences among participants; limited focus on the group's needs; frequent use of scientific language; transfer of outdated information; and inadequate utilization of teaching materials. The conclusion is that there is a need to retrain health professionals and to improve the availability of physical resources and teaching materials in order for education in reproductive health to become a reality in the FHP.