Can we have another youth friendly name for Family Planning? Especially when presenting it to the adolescence, teenage girls and boys or younger adults. Nearly half of the population are under 25, still in school and unmarried, and more than half of these people do not think family planning is for them, yet they take the famous PILLS!
At work yesterday, I had an opportunity to have a chat with a 19 year old girl that walked her mum to the clinic. Just to reduce stress, I engaged in a conversation with her, I started by asking her about her educational background, and why she wasn't at school at the moment and she said "awaiting admission into the university to study pharmacy''.
Alright, This brought an opportunity to probe further and ask her how she was spending her time being at home and how long. The young lady appeared glad to have this discussion with me, the smiles were welcoming and I gave it back to her for her comfort as I knew I was heading somewhere...
We got talking about the opposite sex and blah blah blah.....shhhhhh,( not for every one to know ) so i popped the question "What do you know about family planning" this time i was looking into her eyes, still maintained my smiling face.
The smile gradually left her and she responded. "but I am not married, I only followed my mum because she asked me to. She is the mother, she needs it, i don't, that's why it is called FAMILY Planning.
Seriously, I heard this not for the first time but honestly does this name "Family planning" really do justice to the position we find ourselves in reducing teenage unwanted pregnancies.
Perhaps, the married ones have got a group of innate people called the Family but does everyone really needs a family to plan for their reproductive strength and choices.
Nobody says you need to be married to use a contraceptive, yet, our religious belief preaches that because it is expected not to engaged in pre marital sex, and as such you have no business with it.
Health -sex education is lacking seriously among these young people, the only time most of them get to hear about this so- called family planning is at the family planning clinic, not even at schools, churches/mosques or home .Young adults needs to be informed adequately. TV commercials, radio jingles need to spread all these information. lets talk about methods like the condoms and the injectables.
Health workers need to speak to these younger adult without biases. 'First you should abstained', that's the advise we give to them, but when abstinence takes a long toll what then becomes the case.
What also is the situation or the fate of a rape victim, having the child and leaving him or her in mystery all their lives when contraceptives can be used to prevent this?
These young adult live in the fear of the unknown every day, with no one to talk to, and with the understanding that their secret are not kept secret after all- (CONFIDENTIALITY).
If we can have a better way of disseminating the family planning gospel, am sure we will get younger converts and curb teenage pregnancies....food for thought based on researches.
Don't forget to advise that any other method apart from the condoms will not prevent the contacting of sexually transmitted diseases.
#youth friendly contraceptive devices.
# empower youth with information by 2020.
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