Regarding adolescent health, and promoting sexual health, I believe that it is largely a matter of education. Once equipped with the necessary information, adolescents will have a foundation on which to base sound choices regarding their individual health. This is not to say that simply providing information will do the trick; adolescents must be engaged, they must demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge, and they must have role models who emulate healthy beliefs and behaviors. This is very easy to say, and quite difficult to observe in the real world. What I have in mind is both formal/classroom education, and informal education; this can include through the media, peers, and through the family.
I think there is fear regarding talking about sex, there could be embarrassment, confusion, or a host of other feelings and associations. Each adolescent's situation will differ from the next. This being the case, education must be structured to overcome a variety of barriers. Potential barriers could be familial, cultural, religious, SES (as it could relate to other barriers). Where and how information is delivered could ultimately lead to overcoming barriers, or molding the curriculum to ascribe to them.
Another barrier is a potentially restricted view on what constitutes sexual health. Many may just apply the term referring to family planning and disease prevention, but I think it encompasses more, such as sexuality, sexual orientation, beliefs and related behaviors, self-esteem, and many other topics.
Given the many sources of information, and the barriers unique to each of them, there is likelihood of an adolescent receiving conflicting or confusing information at some point. I don't have a good idea of what proper resolution looks like, but hope that it includes being comfortable with asking questions, and having a trusted figure to turn to.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment