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Marina Lacroix

Addressing Cultural Sensitivities - 0 views

www.pathfind.org/...nov_2000.htm

youth reproductive health reproductive rights obstacles youth participation

shared by Marina Lacroix on 28 Jan 09 - Cached
  • common concern among adults that adolescent reproductive health programs will encourage adolescent sexual activity
  • Young people have traditionally learned about sex and reproduction through the extended family or via a network of neighbors or friends, often in conjunction with well-defined rituals or rites of passage. Sex education in the schools can be perceived as a challenge to these more traditional routes. Furthermore, most societies do not grant adolescents full legal, economic, and social rights. Adult control over young people’s access to health education and services, including contraception, is seen as natural.
  • politicians and government officials often enact laws and formal policies that limit their access to reproductive health care. Such regulations usually require a minimum age, parental consent, or that a person be married to receive the service
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  • Even where no formal restrictions exist, many health workers refuse or are reluctant to provide unmarried or childless young people—especially young women—with contraceptives. Teachers and other professionals who interact with youth share similar biases
  • Religious groups, for example, have strongly opposed school-based sexuality education in the United States, Mexico, and Kenya
  • Involve youth. Young people are among the most effective advocates for change, and several programs have channeled their energy and enthusiasm into helping modify social norms and lower barriers to youth programming. Members of the Youth Advocacy Movement of the Bahamas Family Planning Association produced a "photojournal" depicting issues of importance to youth. They presented these to Ministry of Health officials to highlight youth concerns as part of a broader campaign to advocate for greater attention to youth health.54 In the Dominican Republic, advocacy by youth, including visits to legislators, a letter-writing campaign to local and national government officials, and rallies and other events were key to the recent passage of a national youth law.55 In Brazil, community members initially ridiculed girls trained to speak to other youth on HIV/AIDS and sexuality. As the value of their work became apparent, the girls gained the respect of the community and changed beliefs about the proper role of young women in openly discussing sex.56
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