Tahmina - Final Reflection

My initial reflection on ‘what barriers do teens face in having a healthy sexuality’ is still pretty much the same. However, as a result of all the knowledge, activities and assignments presented in this class, I have a much better ‘hands-on’ understanding and experience of even my own initial reflection.
One of the barriers I had mentioned in my initial reflection was ‘a lack of a comprehensive outlook.’ Instantly I think of points in class where this point was driven home. For instance, in one activity, we talked to a chair about what we would have wanted to know/do regarding a particular sexual matter as a youth. Reflecting on the shortcomings of your perspectives as a youth truly drives home how existing gaps in knowledge can be a barrier to really understanding and having a healthy sexuality. A lack of resources/people/approaches disseminating correct information does prevent an individual from a comprehensive outlook. It also emphasized how a lack of communication can impede the process. Another example of this was recognized in the workshop my group facilitated. Despite having an upper hand or understanding of safe sex, there were certain aspects of it, such as cultural competency, that they were learning in context to safe sex for the first time and hopefully this opened the door for a better understanding of future safe-sex situations they encounter.
Another barrier that I had mentioned was ‘differences in attitudes.’ Reflecting on this, I remember the agree/disagree activity from our first class and how the various responses on individual issues were expressed. Even as an adult, you can find yourself re-thinking the situation after hearing someone elses view on something or question the way you perceived it, so it was easy to just imagine how hard it is for youth, whose brain is still maturing, to hear different people tell them about sex. It can be quite a challenge deciding where you stand on issues especially if various people close to you feel differently. A lot of what youth feel on the individual level is a result of peers and family and this can serve as a barrier or advantage depending on how your environment helps you understand sexual issues. The activity in class where the fetus, doctor, boyfriend and mother were influencing a pregnant individuals choices also comes to mind. Also, what comes to mind is how, in the workshops presented and watched, youth had a different understanding of sexuality as a result of something they heard at one point or another. Differences in attitudes that correctly disseminate information can work to your advantage but oftentimes people playing different roles in your life don’t aren’t on the same page so it can confuse a youth even more on sensitive issues. Conversely, similar attitudes may provide a narrow judgmental view.
Last but not least, another barrier I mentioned was ‘challenging years that confound the process.’ This point was definitely driven home after witnessing the workshops in action. We truly forget how challenging youth can be. There does come a point in life where the problems that seem the biggest in the world or source of extreme emotion ‘unique only to you’ are forgotten or perceived less vividly. Seeing the interaction and noise between the youth at these workshops and just from stepping into that environment was like a flashback that provided a glimpse of what the trials and tribulations of being a teenager were, and I for one can’t say I’d want to go back, haha. An example of the way youth are impacted differently was also reflected in the responses youth gave in my workshop; some might have had a note of passion behind certain statements yet others imparted a similar response different in some aspects and still some uncommon responses were hesitantly expressed almost in reservation of the commonly expressed belief. It’s no wonder that barriers to healthy sexuality exist when there so much going on at the same time and ongoing processes unique to everyone around you play a role in the way you may or may not perceive things. Being a teenager and having more ‘blue’ or ‘red’ parts of the brain can be a barrier or advantage in and of itself.
This class was amazing. It should be packaged into some part of training required for youth workers. I sincerely feel more competent in aspects of interacting with youth and understanding the way things may be impacted by individual, interpersonal, community and socio-political factors. Admittedly, the workshop seemed intimidating but despite the challenges it was a great experience and it definitely equipped me with skills that I can enhance and realization of skills I need to work on. It was also very motivating to see youth respond in a positive way or for them to understand something as a result of something you did or said; it is inspiring to see that barriers can be overcome. However, the workshop did emphasize how support from all avenues must be at play in order for an individual to eliminate barriers to a healthy sexuality. The limitations of a workshop is that at the end of the day, despite the amazing knowledge you creatively administered and the encouraging responses it imparted, it is still just one component or intervention to assisting our youth communities in handling sexual issues. Comprehensive approaches (education, communication, resources, interaction) with sexual issues have to take suitably occur in all the important places in an individuals life (friends, family, school, community centers, religious organizations) in order for youth to comprehensively understand the bigger picture, help them identify where they stand, eliminate barriers and build a confident and healthy sexuality.
Thank you so much for such a great class! I was sure a 2.5 hour class on summer evenings for 10 weeks would be dreadful but you proved me wrong and facilitated a positive outcome! Now, if only we can do this for our communities of youth. :)