E X P A N D I N G F A M I L Y P L A N N I N G O P T I O N S

Addressing the Reproductive Health Needs of Very Young Adolescents

My Changing Body: Fertility Awareness for Young People

Why Very Young Adolescents and Sexual & Reproductive Health?

• Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is recognized as an important area but little progress has been made to develop programs for very young adolescents (VYAs).

• The period from10-14 years old corresponds to a time of critical development for adolescents.

• It is a time when sexual and gender identities are formed.

• VYAs form attitudes and skills which become the foundation for wellbeing and SRH.

• Best practices for program implementation and evaluation have been developed and are increasing in use.

Addresses gaps in life skills and materials for use in VYA programs

My Changing Body

• Fertility awareness

• Body literacy •physical /emotional

changes •Influence of gender

norms on sexual and reproductive selves

What did the formative research tell us?

• Boys and girls experience discomfort around puberty-related changes, and parents are uneasy discussing these changes with children.

• Traditional gender roles influence perceptions regarding puberty. Poor body literacy and fertility awareness reinforce those traditional gender and sexuality norms.

• There is low knowledge regarding fertility and reproductive processes among both boys and girls.

Challenges facing young people: What do parents think? What do children think?

ISSUES PARENTS

BOYS GIRLS

School, grades X X X

Adapting to changes during puberty

X X X

Pregnancy, STIs X

Violence, rape X

Safety, love, protection

X

Family well-being X X

ISSUES PARENTS

BOYS GIRLS

School, grades

Adapting to changes during puberty

Pregnancy, STIs

Violence, rape

Safety, love, protectionFamily well-being

What does having a boyfriend/girlfriend mean to you?

Poor fertility awareness and body literacy“If you haven’t ejaculated by the time you are 25, the sperm enters your head and you could become crazy or die”. 10-12 year old boy, Madagascar

Parents and older youth recognize that masturbation is a common way to deal with sexual desire, but disagree on whether it is moral or healthy.

Madagascar and Guatemala

Gender and sexual norms influence responses to changes during puberty“I almost fainted when I saw the blood.” 13-14 year old girl, Guatemala

“If you ejaculate and you don’t know what it is, you’re wondering what is this? 10-12 year old boy, Madagascar

My C

han

gin

g B

ody

Sess

ions

Puberty: My Body, My Self

Female and Male Fertility

Combining Female and Male Fertility: Fertilization

Concerns about My Fertility: Female and Male Group Discussions

Hygiene and Puberty

Review

Instructions for Parents

Six Interactive Sessions for VYAs and Parents

Activity: “Alex”

Activity: “Alex”All cultures have traditional roles assigned to women and men. These are based on social expectations, not on the natural abilities of women and men.

As our world changes, the social expectations change as well. For girls and boys to grow into healthy women and men, we must look at these traditional roles and expectations, and change some of them so that we can work together as equals in improving our lives and the lives of our communities.

Many traditional female and male roles exist regarding sex and sexuality, and the My Changing Body manual explores these ideas.

Results• Led to significant

increases in knowledge and awareness of developmental changes, including fertility.

• Led to a positive impact on parent-child communication.

• Experimental group participants were more aware of gender roles than those in the control group and more likely to challenge traditional gender roles.

• Participants recognized that their lifestyle is governed by social norms. They began to question these norms and believe in the possibility of changing behaviors.

Final Reflections on My Changing Body

• Six sessions can cause significant changes in fertility awareness, body literacy and parent-child communication.

• Understanding gender is essential to ensuring the health and wellbeing of VYAs—the challenge is making the discussions relevant and practical.

• Before implementing a youth program, conduct formative research so the curriculum can be adapted to the cultural context.

Questions• How do adolescents in your

community learn about sexual and reproductive health?

• What reproductive health-related topics do YOU think adolescents should learn? And at what age?