Training of Roma Health Mediators in Reproductive Health

this. It may be difficult for us to know what questions make women uncomfortable or when
women trust us enough to discuss certain things. Women may question when to respond or
not. We will do an exercise which will help us reflect on some conditions which favor, or
do not favor, sharing certain personal information.
Ask participants to take a piece of paper and to make a list as follows:
6. Strangers ______________________________
5. Acquaintances __________________________
4. Friends ________________________________
3. Intimate friends _________________________
2. Myself ________________________________
1. Denial/repression ________________________
Note: Explain that “1” represents those things we cannot even admit to ourselves, that we
repress or deny.
Post the flip chart "To whom would you tell . .?" Read each question, and ask participants
to write a key word of the question next to the category of people with whom she would be
most likely to share her answer to the question. Emphasize that participant responses are
private and that participants will not be asked to share them. (Participants give only one
answer to each question. They may, however, put more than one answer on a line.)
Questions:
TO WHOM WOULD YOU TELL:
1. How much money you earn?
2. That you thought you caught an STI?
3. That you thought you were infected with HIV?
4. That you have had an induced abortion ?
5. The last time you had sexual relations (the date)?
6. That you thought you had a tumor (breast, uterine)?
7. That you abandoned your child?
8. What made you cry the last time?
9. That you, or your partner, was having sex outside of marriage?
10. That you have considered suicide (killing yourself)?
[Note: key words are underlined]
After participants have responded to all the questions (put a key word from each question on
one of the lines), ask the following discussion questions (and note on a flip chart the total
number of participants who put responses on lines 5-6; on lines 2-3; and on line 1).
‣ How many people put 7 - 10 responses:
On the first two lines (strangers & acquaintances)?
On lines 3 and 2 (intimate friends and self)?
‣ How many people put at least one response on line 1 (things we cannot admit even
to ourselves)?
‣ Was it difficult sometimes to decide which line would be the most appropriate (that
is, with whom you would most likely share your response)?
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RFHI/JSI Romania Training of RHMs in Reproductive Health Session 14: Interpersonal Communication