Sexual and Reproductive Health. The UNFPA defines good SRH as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well- being in all matters relating to the reproductive system” (2016). SRH is grounded in universal human rights under various international conventions and treaties, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, and Convention of the Rights of the Child (Sexual Rights Initiative [SRI], 2017; The World Association for Sexual Health [WAS], 2014). The WAS Declaration of Sexual Rights further reaffirms that an individual has the “right to decide whether to have children, the number and spacing of children, and to have the information and means to do so” (2014, p. 1). SRH and rights also incorporate access to sexual education and information, protection from discrimination based on sexuality, and the inclusion of an open environment in which an individual can control and decide freely on sexual matters (SRI, 2017). Sexual health is not merely the absence of disease, nor is it important only during an individual’s reproductive years (WHO, 2006). Sexual health also includes the ability to understand and weigh risks, responsibilities, outcomes, and impacts of sexual actions, as well as freedom from sexual abuse and discrimination (Office of the Surgeon General & Office of Population Affairs, 2001). Sexual empowerment is another important aspect of SRH. Empowerment theorists have described empowerment as a combination of an individual’s internal sense of power and control (Xxxxxxxxx, 1990) and the ability to control other resources (Xxxxx, 1993). Xxxxxxxx (2010) describes adolescent girls’ sexual empowerment as multidimensional and process-oriented. Sexual empowerment is defined as a process whereby girls develop a subjective perception about themselves as sexual beings and gain more power and control over their own sexuality through healthy sexual experiences (Xxxxxxxx, 2010). Aspects of sexual empowerment include a girl’s sense of ability or self-efficacy to make decisions regarding her sexual health, as well as being able to refuse unwanted behavior and to ask for what she wants in a relationship (Xxxxxxxx, 2010). The SRH of adolescents requires multidimensional models specific to regional contexts. Current models for adolescent sexual health often fail to acknowledge the role of gender (Xxxxxx et al., 2003). Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxxxxxx (2012) advocate for adolescent sexual health models to incorporate a wid...
Sexual and Reproductive Health. Research in Latin American shows that adolescents who face obstacles that discourage academic achievement and high aspirations in life are more likely to bear children than those who have higher expectations of themselves and more incentives to prevent pregnancy (Xxxxxxx- Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, 2010). Overall, teenage fertility rates in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are not declining. In comparison with all other regions in the world, LAC has the highest percentage of total live births to adolescent mothers between the ages of 15-19 at 18% (UNICEF, 2007) just ahead of Africa at 17%. With almost half of its population under the age of 25, sexual and reproductive health education is critical to the health of Paraguayans now and in future years. HIV prevalence in Paraguay has remained low, affecting just 0.3% of the adult population as of 2012 (UNICEF, 2013). Between 2008 and 2012 only 51.3% of females aged 15-24 who admitted having multiple lifetime partners said they consistently used condoms. Furthermore, overall contraceptive prevalence for the same time period of all women was relatively high at 79.4% (UNICEF, 2013). Many schools have implemented sexual health education programs into primary and secondary school education, but the quality of these programs is unknown. Additionally, school dropout rates have remained consistent; in 2010 the dropout rates for students 15-17 was 29% ("El Desafío es la Equidad: Informe de Progreso Educativo Paraguay," 2013). Understanding risk and protective factors for reproductive health in developing countries is essential to making country-level improvements and advancements. Protective factors are those that discourage behaviors leading to negative health outcomes while risk factors are those that encourage or are associated with behaviors that could leave to negative health outcomes. For example, risk factors for adolescent pregnancy include early onset of puberty and friends who have had sex. Protective factors for adolescent pregnancy include condom and contraceptive knowledge, two-parent family, and higher educational xxxxx (Xxxx, 2004). A 2010 Qualitative Needs Assessment published in collaboration with Paraguay’s Centro Paraguayo de Estudio de Población (CEPEP) by Xx. Xxxxx Xxxxx and Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Puebla focused on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Asunción, Paraguay. This study presented findings on the availability and use of condoms and contraception, knowledge of services offered at CEPEP, adol...
Sexual and Reproductive Health. One of the most important themes that participants discussed was their view on sexual and reproductive health, if and how they communicate about these issues with their children, and where children learn about issues surrounding this theme. These issues included pregnancy prevention, the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), contraceptive methods, advice given by parents to adolescent, and more. Fathers’ attitudes about sex were also discussed. A common phrase heard repeatedly by all of the fathers in reference to conversations between themselves and their children was “cuidarse”, or “take care of yourself”. For some, this was the only communication that fathers had with their children in relation to sex. This phrase is not only frequently used in Paraguay, but throughout Latin America as well. In terms of sexual health, most fathers agreed that the education received by pre-teens and adolescents in the community is not sufficient. Most men knew that adolescents learned about sexual health in school, but did not know at what age, what topics were discussed, or how in depth each topic was addressed. Men also said that much of what adolescents learn today about sex comes from friends, television, internet, cell phones, and other forms of technology. Most participants did not talk to their children about sex at all. Some mentioned that their wives did have discussions about sex with their children, but they did not know what was discussed. Interviewer: How do you think the adolescents in the Bañado learn about sexual and reproductive health? Xxxxxxx: We hardly ever talk about it, very infrequently. We hardly ever talk about it because they have lessons in school and there are some workshops about it. (Xxxxxxx: 35- 42) Almost all respondents expressed the need for more information about sex. While some of them did not have suggestions for where this information could be obtained, the need for it was conveyed very strongly. Fathers said that it is not uncommon to see girls as young as 12 years old who are pregnant in the Bañado, and none of the fathers thought that these girls chose to become young mothers. Many fathers articulated that becoming sexually active is a normal part of growing up, but that young people do not know how to protect themselves from pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections because they are too young and uninformed to make smart decisions about their sexual health. Interviewer: Do you think they need more information?...
Sexual and Reproductive Health. 9. How do youth in the Bañado learn about sexual and reproductive health?
Sexual and Reproductive Health. In addition to sanitation and hygiene, sexual and reproductive health is a major concern for the growing population of urban poor. According to a study by the African Population and Health Research Center (2014), the fertility rate in Nairobi’s informal settlements in 2010 was
