Innovative - UNESCO Bangkok

Vol. 8. No. 1. June 2005NEWSLETTER for policy makers, programme managers and practitionersInnovativeapproach to health educationYunnan, Chinaairs radio dramaon HIV prevention inminority languagepage18NEW Pull-out: EduTools Samples of ARSH modules for teacher trainers . Section A1

2GOOD PRACTICESCover photo source:Bao Hongnan and Yang Huifang1818 Innovative approach to health education:Radio drama in Jingpo languagebrings HIV prevention messageto minority communitiesREGIONAL NEWS19 Reducing reproductive health risksof adolescent refugees20 Guides to HIV/AIDS programming33 Reviewing UNFPA’s role in PopEdprogrammes4 UNESCO”s cross-cutting approach topoverty reduction for adolescent girls6 Youth participation: Voices of South Asia6 New: HIV/AIDS manual for teacher trainersPhoto source: MOEYS CambodiaaDOLESCENCEeducationnewsletterVol. 8. No. 1June 2005NATIONAL NEWSPhoto source: UNFPA Office for the PacificBANGLADESH9 Hope and empowerment for ruraladolescents: Insights from theAdolescent Girls’ Programme of CMESCAMBODIA10 Lao youths join 5th Annual Youth Campin Siem ReapINDIA10 Learning for Life: In-school HIV/AIDSeducation takes off in Tamil NaduLAO PDR12 Teaching peers to protect theirreproductive healthRESEARCH BRIEFS23 Asia-Pacific: ARSH information needs ofdecision makers and practitioners25 Bangladesh: Sexual health knowledge ofadolescents in remote district25 Cambodia: National survey revealsrisk-taking behaviour of youth8 UNFPA, UNICEF, SPC launch adolescentheatlh project in Pacific IslandsTHAILAND15 YFCD unveils reproductive healthmanual for Chiang Mai teachersVIET NAM17 Youth speak out in ARSH forum26 India: Interpresonal communication: Bestway to improve HIV/AIDS attitude92326 Philippines: Twin studies reveal adolescentreproductive health needs in NorthernMindanaoPhoto source: RHIYAWEBLINKS26 Youth Policy27 Countdown 201526 Global Youth Partners 27 WBVHA26

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 20053PopEdREVIEWINGUNFPA’s role inprogrammesPopulation education isknown by different names,but its programmesacross the world sharesimilar aims – improvedknowledge, bettercommunication andnegotiation skills, andhealthier attitudes andbehaviour.Source: UNFPAEducation outcomesand linkages withdevelopment goalsEDUCATION PROGRAMMES foryoung people can be intricatelylinked to development goals(left). This was illustrated in adocument released last year based ona technical review of UNFPA’s threedecadeexperience in PopulationEducation (PopEd).UNFPA PopEd programmes couldbe categorized into: 1) Populationand Family Life Education; 2) SexualityEducation; and 3) Life Skills Education.Common elements of all programmesare: advocacy to promote an enablingsocio-political environment; capacitybuildingthrough teacher training anddevelopment of curriculum and materials;and peer education.In the Asia and Pacific region, notmany countries had integrated sexeducation programmes in schools ordeveloped out-of-school peer educationprogrammes as of 2002 (below).Asia-Pacific countries with in-schoolor out-of-school populationeducation programmes (2002)Bangladesh•BhutanCambodiaMongoliaMyanmar •NepalChina • Papua New GuineaIndia • PhilippinesIndonesiaSouth PacificJordan • Sri LankaLao PDRMalaysiaThailandViet Nam ••Out-of-school programmes only

4REGIONAL NEWSPopEd programmes (continued)Therefore, four principal recommendationswere raised to furtherimprove UNFPA’s role in PopEd:1 Creating anenabling environment•Undertake more advocacy targetingpolicy makers and opinion leaders atvarious levels.•Network and build coalitions with educationpartners.•Advocate for the inclusion of PopEd topicsin education sector reforms.2 Effective programming•Focus advocacy efforts on: building political support andsocial consensus; funding and technical support for curriculum developmentand teacher training; co-curricular activities and out-of-school programmeswith links to ARSH services.Photo source:UNFPA• Establish criteria for institutionalization to ensure that administrative bodiesare able to implement PopEd programmes beyond the pilot phase.• Recognize the links and differentiate the approaches between educationinterventions within schools and those aimed at out-of-school groups.3 Strategic partnerships• Re-establish a strategic partnershipbetween UNFPA and UNESCO, especiallyat the country level.4 Conceptual clarification• Use “Population Education” as ageneric term, but do not precludecountries from adopting more specifictitles to reflect their nationalpriorities for specific educationprogrammes (e.g. Sex Educationin Mongolia; Population Educationin Uganda; Family Life Education inPeru). Source: UNFPA. 2004. Education isempowerment: Promoting goals inpopulation, reproductive health andgender. Report of a technical consultationon UNFPA’s role in education. New York:UNFPA. Visit: http://www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=219&filterListType=1UNESCO’s cross-cuttingapproachto poverty reductionfor adolescent girlsPhoto source: UNESCOIT WAS AMBITIOUS, but not impossible.UNESCO picked four countries amongthe world’s poorest – Bangladesh, India,Nepal and Pakistan, where about 30 percent of families live in extreme poverty – androlled them into one pilot project with across-cutting approach to poverty reduction.This meant specialists from diverse backgrounds– education, science and communication– had to work hand in hand to reachmarginalized girls.

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 20055UNESCO’s cross-cutting approach (continued)The resulting project, Breaking thePoverty Cycle of Women: EmpoweringAdolescent Girls to become the Agentsof Social Transformation in South Asiawas approved for implementation in2003-2004.UNESCO’s intervention was characterizedby holistic education. Foradolescent girls deprived of basic education,this included reading, writingand math, but also gave importance tohealth, sexuality, life skills and othertopics. Livelihood skills and incomegeneration were part of the trainingfor older girls.Although the project was of pilotscale, it has so far delivered promisingaccomplishments (below) across allfour countries. Source: UNESCO. 2003. EmpoweringAdolescent Girls: Breaking the PovertyCycle of Women. A UNESCO PilotProject. Paris: UNESCO.To enable anadolescent girl is tohelp a family riseabove poverty.Source: Empowering Adolescent Girls: Breaking the Poverty Cycle of Women. p. 48.Photo source: UNESCO

6REGIONAL NEWSYouth participationVoices of South AsiaATWO-HOUR SESSION was all they had, but youth panellistsfrom Nepal, Sri Lanka and India wasted no timeto share their thoughts as their way of participatingin reproductive and sexual health programming for youth.Listening to their views were government representatives,researchers, programme mangers and donors from Asiaand other continents.The special session was organized on 3 December 2004 by the UNFPACountry Support Team for South and West Asia (Kathmandu) as part of the AsiaConference on Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs in NewDelhi, India. The areas of focus under this session included the role of youth inpolicy and planning, the challenges and limitations to youth participation, thelessons learned from programmingexperiences, and the strengthening ofadult-youth partnership.As the main highlight of the forum,youth participants explained the hindrancesto their participation in thedecision-making process. They raisedconcerns on the limited access toinformation and services on reproductiveand sexual health issues. Theyalso stressed that predeterminedsocio-cultural norms restricted themfrom discussing sexual issues. Theygave importance to the role of governmentsupport and financial resourcesto prevent HIV/AIDS and to the realisticinvolvement of youth in planning,designing and implementing reproductiveand sexual health programmes.South Asian cases were cited duringthis session to demonstrate the contributionsof young people in reproductivehealth policy and programmeNEWHIV/AIDSmanualfor teachertrainersREDUCING HIV/AIDS Vulnerabilityamong Students in the SchoolSetting: A Teacher TrainingManual is a ready-to-use tool designedwith the goal to train teacher educatorsin HIV/AIDS prevention and care.Packed in 11 modules, the manualcontains basic facts and informationneeded for acquiring knowledgeand developing attitudes, values,skills and practices related to theprevention and control of HIV/AIDS.Published in 2005, thegeneric manual can be usedon its own or could beadapted to suit the needs ofteachers in different typesof schools and socio-culturalsettings. To date,in-country adaptationworkshops for thismanual have beenorganized in China,Indonesia, Viet Namand Lao PDR. In thecoming months,the manual will

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 20057Voices of South Asia (continued)Agenda for ActionYouth Participation in Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDSPolicies and Programming: The South Asia Context3 December 2004• Enhance advocacy and action research from the region to provide pointersto questions related to youth participation.• Acknowledge the influence of local socio-cultural beliefs and taboos onyoung people’s sexual and reproductive health, and consider the needsof the young people based on their perspectives.• Address the lack of awareness and information on youth programmesand policies.• Strengthen youth-adult partnerships in sexual and reproductive healthprogrammes through consultations.• Enhance the capacity and interest of the young people to take initiative inthe formation of committees, networks and reward schemes.• Mainstream HIV prevention among young people as part of the agenda ofthe government ministries.formulation. Among these were youthinvolvement in peer education andcounseling in Nepal, the affiliationof the youth in advisory boards andas advisory committee members inBangladesh and Nepal, and key youthdeclarations from national and regionalconferences in South Asia.As a synthesis of the issues raised,an Agenda for Action was endorsed(left). Source: UNFPA CST for South and WestAsia. 2004. Youth participation inreproductive health and HIV/AIDS policiesand programming: The South Asiacontext. Report of the session organizedby UNFPA-CST for South and SouthwestAsia, Kathmandu at the Asia Conferenceon Young People’s Sexual and ReproductiveHealth Needs: Progress, Achievements andWays Forward. December, New Delhi.be produced in each country’s national language. Workshops for country-specificreproduction of the manual are being planned forAfghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Iran, Kazakhstan,Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand. The adaptedmanual, targeted at the pre-service and in-serviceteachers, will be used in the teacher training colleges inthese countries.Setting the new manual apart from others in its categoryis the long series of consultations and pilot tests thatrefined this product. Feedback was also sought from meetingswith the Ministries of Education and other related ministriesin East and South-East Asia as well as from the regional,multi-agency peer review workshop organized by UNESCO Asiaand Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in October 2004.This training manual replaces a 1999 version publishedby UNESCO and the Southeast Asian Ministries of EducationOrganization’s Regional Network in Tropical Medicine and PublicHealth (SEAMEO-TROPMED). As with the previous version, the newmanual is supported by the Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT).Based on feedback from field tests across 13 Asian countriesin 2000-2003 and an evaluation in 2003, the previous manual wasrevised towards a stronger focus on reproductive and sexual health aswell as life skills. The new manual also takes on a more user-friendlyformat. Source: UNESCO Bangkok. 2005. Reducing HIV/AIDS vulnerability among studentsin the school setting: A teacher training manual. Visit: UNESCO Bangkok HIV/AIDSCoordination and School Health Unit, http://www.unescobkk.org/hivaids. Contact:aids@unescobkk.org.For excerpts of thetraining manual, referto EduTools, pull-outsection A1 to A4.EduTools is a special sectionof the Adolescence EducationNewsletter (AEN) designed toprovide substantive, usablesamples of ARSH educationtools, such as teachingmaterials, training guides,manuals and learning aids.The contents are drawn fromexisting and well-testedresources intended for Asia andthe Pacific region.In this issue, we share the firsttwo modules of an HIV/AIDStraining manual (described left).Expect more modules in thenext issues of AEN.

8REGIONAL NEWSUNFPA, UNICEF, SPC launch adolescent health projectin Pacific IslandsCOMBINING EFFORTS forthe first time, the UnitedNations Population Fund(UNFPA), the United NationsChildren’s Fund (UNICEF), andthe Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC) officiallylaunched the Joint Project onImproving Adolescent Healthand Development in the PacificRegion on 25 May 2005.25 May 2005. Launching ceremony of Joint Project on Improving AdolescentHealth and Development in the Pacific Region. Project documents weresigned by Mr Najib Assifi (UNFPA Representative), Ms Gillian Mellsop (UNICEFRepresentative), and Dr Jimmie Rodgers (Senior Deputy Director-General for theSecretariat of the Pacific Community).Photo source: UNFPA Office for the PacificThe regional project is jointlyfunded by UNFPA and UNICEF (with abudget of US$1,063,500) and implementedby SPC for an initial periodof two years (2005 to 2006) in 14Pacific Island countries: Cook Islands,Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue,Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga,Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.The sexual behaviour of adolescentsis changing rapidly in PacificIsland countries. As more adolescentsbecome sexually active at increasinglyearly ages, they face greater risks ofunintended pregnancy and sexuallytransmitted infections (STIs), includingHIV/AIDS. This youth vulnerabilityin the Pacific is exacerbated by alcoholand drug abuse, sexual violence, mentalhealth problems, suicidal tendencies,and delinquency. These problemsare further compounded by increasingyouth unemployment and parent-childgeneration gaps. Changing behaviourand practices among adolescents callsfor concerted action to protect theirphysical and psycho-social well-being.Although considerable achievementshad been accomplished in recent yearsthrough UNFPA and UNICEF initiatives,more work is needed to expand activitiesand ensure sustainability. In recognitionof this, the joint project aims topromote the health and developmentof Pacific youth by providing information,education, life skills and servicesrelevant to adolescent developmentand needs; as well as emphasizingresponsible behaviour and practicesto prevent teenage pregnancy, STIsincluding HIV/AIDS, and other relatedreproductive health issues. Theproject will also address wider issuesof adolescent health and developmentin line with the principles of healthpromotion under the Ottawa Charterfor Health Promotion (WHO, 1986)and the Pacific leaders’ commitmentto health and development in the draft“Pacific Plan.” Source: UNFPA Office for the Pacific(Suva). 2005 Press Release. Visit:http://web2.unfpa.org/pacific. Contact:registry@unfpa.org.fjWATCH FOR ITFaith-based advocacy for ARSH, a workshop toolkitThe UNFPA-funded project on Advocacy and Educational Supportto Adolescent Reproductive Health is pleased to announce theupcoming publication of a training toolkit on Faith-based Advocacy forAdolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health in Asia and the Pacific.The toolkit touches on three major religions in Asia: Buddhism,Catholicism and Islam.Divided in seven modules, the toolkit discusses ARSH issues and thereligious base for the support or opposition to ARSH. The mechanics offaith-based advocacy are spelled out, including the strategies, messages,understanding religious opposition and FAQs. Case studies highlightappropriate strategies and demonstrate how obstacles can be overcome.A trainee’s manual accompanies the trainer’s manual. NOTE OF THANKSto AEN surveyrespondentsThe Adolescence EducationNewsletter Team wishesto thank all respondents of theAEN 2005 Readership Survey.We are now in the process ofconsolidating and analysing theresults, which will be shared inthe next AEN issue.

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 20059BangladeshHope and empowerment for rural adolescentsInsights from the AdolescentGirls’ Programme of CMES“A PERSON IS AN ARCHITECT of her own destiny.…Thestory of my life will prove this truth,” proclaimed 16-year-oldNurunnahar, a member of the Adolescent Girls’ Programme(AGP) of the Centre for Mass Education in Science (CMES).Left by her father at a young age, Nurunnahar took upon herselfthe burden of raising her family. She enrolled at the RuralTechnology Centre of the CMES Basic School System to learntailoring and tie-dying. Then she applied for a loan from AGP tobuy her own sewing machine. Aside from providing for the basicneeds of her family, she can still set aside 200-250 takka permonth as her savings.“The greatest work done by CMES in my life is that it has givenme a new way, which was too far from my reach. Today, I canproudly say that I am self-reliant and independent in manyaspects,” concluded Nurunnahar.The CMES Project Coordinator, MsHassan Banu Daisy insists, “It is notpossible to ensure girls’ rights onlyby saying ‘give us our rights’ or ‘beaware about our rights’; [it can onlybe] achieved with real practice.” MsDaisy explains that this is exactly whatAGP has been doing in 20 rural areasof Bangladesh.AGP was started by CMES in 1991with two basic tasks in mind. The firsttask of empowerment through genderrights awareness meant teaching necessaryskills to assert rights especiallyfor girls facing discrimination, deprivationand even torture.The second task was to providesocio-economic stability through educationand training for adolescents,without causing them to give up theirmeans of livelihood. Ms Daisy reasoned,“They are earning from thebusiness; as a result, their opportunitiesof education are increased, andthus early marriage is reduced, andthey are empowered socially and economically.”Although there seemed to be nomajor difficulties in implementing AGPin rural areas, Ms Daisy was quick toadd that in the beginning, guardiansraised many issues. “Later on, afterproper motivation, they took part ingender sessions. They came to knowabout its good side and theme.” MsDaisy added that a local support groupof elite people, teachers, and chairs ofunion councils among others continuouslysupported and assisted in theimplementation of AGP.Despite its name, AGP also servesadolescent boys. However, only thegirls are made life-long members ofthe programme. Source: Interview with Ms Hassan BanuDaisy, CMES Project Co-ordinator, byBhorer Kagaj, 3 October 2004.CMES Publications:Stories of inspiration• The Brick Chipper Childrenwho Dared to Dream (2003)recounts the stories ofadolescents involved in thebrick-chippers’ educationproject conducted by CMESand supported by UNICEF.The book traces the children’sjourney from hopeless mindednessinto a goal-driven lifeto overcome poverty.• Adolescent Girls Power(2000) is a compilation of narrativesfrom poor and haplessgirls whose lives and identitieswere moulded and changedfor the better by attending theAdolescent Girls’ Program ofCMES.• Gathering Courage (2003)reveals how girls experiencedtransformation from a life ofpoverty into financial independencethrough successfulbusiness ventures guided bythe Adolescent Girls’ Programof CMES.

10 NATIONAL 10 REGIONAL NEWS NEWSCambodiaLao youths join5th Annual Youth Campin Siem Reap“This camping is goodin helping young peopleunderstand about ARSHand gender equity andequality and the value ofcultural heritage.”Phon Solina, 18 yearsPeer Educator for IndradeviDevelopment Association,Kandal Province, Cambodia“I can learn many thingsfrom this Youth Camp. Ihave never slept in a tentbefore. Now I can sleep ina tent with other youngpeople. I learned how tobe patient because it isvery hot during the daytime and very cool duringthe night time. We didnot prepare many thingsbefore coming and welearned how to use whatwe have.”Thavisack ThammavongsaVolunteer at one of the UNFPAsupportedYouth Centres in Lao PDR

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200511FOR THE FIRST TIME in its history, the Annual Youth Camp inCambodia, held this year from 6 to 12 March in Siem ReapProvince, opened its doors to young people of neighbouringcountry Lao PDR.Photo source: RHIYAAltogether, 266 youths from bothcountries participated in the camp– the fifth in a series of nationalcamps organized under the EU/UNFPAReproductive Health Initiative forYouth in Asia in Cambodia (RHIYACambodia).Centred on the theme “Youth SexualHealth, Responsibilities and Rights,“this event was officially opened in thepresence of the Secretary of State ofthe Ministry of Health, H.E. Dr MamBun Heng; UNFPA Representative MsBettina Maas; and other representativesfrom governmental agencies,partner NGOs and young people.The 5th Annual Youth Camp aimedto raise awareness about genderequality, responsibilities and self-confidence;increase youth participationthroughout the project cycle; promotecooperation among concerned agencies;publicly advocate for youth accessto information as well as reproductivehealth and HIV/AIDS services; enhancethe exchange of experiences amongyouth; and increase awareness of theirroles in national development and theprotection of cultural heritage.Plenary sessions were organizedto familiarize young participantswith reproductive health, gender andindividual responsibilities; sexuallytransmitted infections; HIV/AIDS andits impact on national development;care and support for people livingwith HIV/AIDS; and life experience andchallenges. Following these sessions,young people were given the chanceto share their own experiences withone another in small group discussions.During this time, a member ofthe Lao team even demonstrated howto use a condom for oral sex, notingthat this technique was useful whenpartners initially resisted or refusedcondom use.Regardless of their place of origin,age and sex, the young people werevery open to share their knowledge andexperiences with others. Participantsappraised the Youth Camp as a valuableopportunity to learn about ARSHrelatedissues and to elaborate onexperiences beyond that. Source: Vimol Hou and Alice Levisay,RHIYA. Contact: Thierry Lucas,EU/UNFPA RHIYA, UNFPA Brussels;e-mail: thierry.lucas@asia-initiative.be

12 NATIONAL 12 REGIONAL NEWS NEWSIndiaLearning for LifeIn-school HIV/AIDS educationtakes off in Tamil Nadu“Young people are our greatest hope in the continuingstruggle against this fatal disease. There are some partsof the world where the spread of HIV/AIDS has declinedonly because young women and men were given theinformation, tools and incentives to adopt safe behaviours.”-A. Sankar, Executive Director of EMPOWERIN JUNE 2004, UNICEF, in collaboration with national organizations, launchedLearning for Life, an AIDS education project for Classes 9 and 11 in TamilNadu. The plan was to hold HIV/AIDS prevention sessions for 8,185 schoolsby March 2005.The sessions aimed to give young people an opportunity to learn basic factsabout HIV/AIDS and provide them a forum to raise issues related to growing upor the challenges of adolescence. A key material used for these sessions wasthe “Learning for Life” training manual, which was designed according to thenational guidelines developed by the National Council of Education Researchand Training (NCERT) and the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).Partnering UNICEF in this initiative were the Department of Education;Directorate of Teachers Education, Research and Training (DTERT); DistrictInstitute of Education and Training (DIET); Tamil Nadu State AIDS ControlSoceity (TANSACS); AIDS Prevention and Control Project (APAC-VHS); and coreNGOs.EMPOWER was one of the seven core resource NGOs identified to participatein Learning for Life. It conveyed the importance of the school-based AIDSeducation project to 729 heads of schools through a total of 17 HeadmastersSensitization Programmes. Hyderabadopens livelihood andlife skills centre foradolescentsON 7 MARCH 2005,the Population andDevelopment Education Cell ofthe State Resource Centre forAdult and Continuing Education- SPACE in Hyderabad inauguratedits Centre for Livelihoodand Life Skills in Andhra MahilaSabha Arts and Science College.The centre offers adolescentsskills development trainingin photo lamination, fashiondesigning, sari rolling, embroidery,screen printing, fabricpainting, and others. The trainingalso covers life skills, materialmanagement and marketingtechniques. Source: Professor S Padmanabhaiah,Director, State the State ResourceCentre for Adult and ContinuingEducation ( SPACE), Andhra Pradesh,Hyderabad, IndiaSource: A. Sankar, Executive Director,EMPOWER, Millerpuram, Tuticorin, IndiaLao PDRTeaching peersto protect their reproductive healthEU-funded initiative reachesremote villages and urban teens at riskIN PHONTONG, SaravanProvince, a visiting healtheducation team has setup a stage and loudspeakers,and the whole village hascome to watch. A dozen adolescentsare sitting up front.

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200513Teaching peers (continued)They take turns before themicrophone as a moderatorquizzes them about reproductiveanatomy and diseaseprevention, teasing themgently when they becomeembarrassed, and the crowdlaughs.One young-looking teenager, blushingbut confident in her answers, has alively interaction with the trainer. Thenshe quietly leaves the group and goesbehind the stage to nurse her infantson.Phetsone, 16, in many ways typifiesthe 15 to 24 target group that the educators,from the NGO Health Unlimited,aims to reach in this rural area wheresexual activity and childbearing oftenstart at an early age. Briefly married toa boy her own age, Phetsone is nowdivorced and lives with her family. Shesays she wants to marry again, if shefinds a good man.The educational activity is part ofthe Reproductive Health Initiative forYouth in Asia (RHIYA), which operatesin seven countries with support fromthe European Union and UNFPA, theUnited Nations Population Fund.From Phontong, a 15-year-old girlnamed Tuay Sak and a 17-year old boynamed Thongbai Saysongkhamj havebeen selected. Asked about the concernsof young people in her village,Tuay’s immediate answer is not aboutreproductive health: “We need waterand electricity.”The education team visitingPhontong provides a sampling of whatthe training will cover: songs andgames to build confidence and trust;lessons and quizzes on health, includingprevention of HIV/AIDS, familyplanning, pregnancy care and theimportance of going to a health centre“Girls in rural areas really don’t knowanything about their rights. Womencannot make their own decisions; theyhave to follow the man.”Reproductive healthfor poor, rural youthIn three of this country’s poorestprovinces, RHIYA collaborates withthe Lao Youth Union and local healthauthorities to provide information,counseling and services to youth, whomake up a third of the rural population.Here, teen marriage and largefamilies are normal while skilled childbirthassistance is rare, contributingto high maternal death rates. Youngpeople, especially those who do notspeak Lao, have limited knowledgeabout or access to reproductive healthservices.Phontong houses 63 families of theKatang minority, who raise cattle andwater buffalo. During the dry season,young people leave home to work incoffee plantations in Paksong. Thevillage has one water pump for its350 inhabitants and no latrines. Theschool has one teacher for 166 pupilsand stops at grade three. The nearesthealth facility is 18 kilometres down avery rough road.Phetsone, mother at 16Phetsone delivered her baby athome, with no midwife and no meansof transport had she needed to get to ahospital. She did receive prenatal care,though, from a UNFPA-funded mobilemother-child clinic that now comes toPhontong once every three months.To improve reproductive health outreach,the RHIYA project is organizinga network of peer educators in 60southern villages. Behavioural surveyshave been conducted. Training materialsand participatory methods usedto train peer educators in Vientianeare being adapted for rural use. Radioprogrammes have started broadcastinghealth messages for young people,and these have been put on cassettefor meetings in remote villages.The youth union has picked candidateswho will be sent to the provincialtown for a week of training. They willbe taught to teach fellow village youthabout reproductive health concerns,both in private counselling sessionsand group discussions. They will beexpected to keep a log of their activities,to organize village activities everytwo weeks, and to return to town everythree months for follow-up training.Photo source: www.unfpa.orgto give birth; and gender role-reversalskits highlighting the unfairness ofwomen having to do all the childrearingand housework. The village childrenshriek with delight at a scenewhere a drunken woman shouts at acowering man clutching an infant.Teaching about women’s rights isa priority, according to Dr ChintanaSomkhane of Health Unlimited, a communitytrainer. “Girls in rural areasreally don’t know anything about theirrights. Women cannot make their owndecisions; they have to follow theman.”

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200515ThailandYFCD unveilsreproductive health manualfor Chiang Mai teachersTHE YOUTH FAMILY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (YFCD) has nowreleased the teaching manual for its reproductive and sexual healthprogramme dubbed Because the World Needs You. With the publicationof this manual in April 2005, YFCD is now ready to take its reproductive healthcurriculum to Chiang Mai students aged 10 to 14.Because theWorld NeedsYou curriculumready to gofull swingBecause the World Needs You is aprogramme hinged on peer educationand “edutainment” strategies tofulfil its goals. It includes topics suchas knowing and applying rights, controllingsexual urges and desires, loveand responsibility, parts of the humanbody, and associating with others. Theprogramme’s manual is spread outinto 10 chapters which provide activityobjectives, plans and strategies, andsubsequent evaluations. The manualalso appends a set of questionnairesand criteria for measuring the successand effectiveness of the peer trainersinvolved in the programme.The move to develop this programmewas only logical after YFCD’sassessment showed a big differencebetween students’ reproductive healthknowledge and teachers or parents’perception on what students know.The assessment also revealed that previousclassroom activities in this areadid not match students’ needs.The curriculum began to take shapeas YFCD worked with 10 pilot schoolsto implement peer-to-peer activitiesthat promoted the sexual and reproductivehealth of students. School principals,teachers, parents and studentswere involved throughout the developmentand implementation of the curriculum.Altogether, YFCD worked with50 schools in Chiang Mai to developthe activities described in the resultingmanual.The support of parents and schoolprincipals on this programme reducedthe embarrassment of the teachers inhandling sex education in their classrooms.It also helped that the curriculumwas meant to be an extra-curricularactivity, rather than mandatory.To complement the implementationof the curriculum, YFCD builds thecapacity of parents in the communitiesto discuss reproductive health andsexuality issues with their children inan appropriate manner. YFCD also createsparent networks to link communitiesand schools. Source: UNESCO Bangkok HIV/AIDSCoordination and School Health Unit.Visit: http://www.unescobkk.org/hivaids.Contact: aids@unescobkk.orgMore about YFCD workManual for teens with HIV/AIDSTheresearch team of the Youth Family and Community Development (YFCD) has developed a manual forproviding health education, best practices and self-care information to young people with HIV/AIDS. Themanual made use of the participatory approach and the actual experiences and needs of young people livingwith HIV/AIDS. Training camps were organized to provide life skills knowledge in relation to this topic. Over thepast few months, some teenagers openly admitted having HIV and formed a “Teen’s Aid” group. Since then,some of them have been involved in HIV prevention activities for other teenagers as peer educators. YCFD’sproject approach is currently being documented and will be replicated in other schools in North Thailand.YFCD is headed by Dr Warunee Fongkaew of the Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University. The programmeis supported by the Ford Foundation.

16 NATIONAL 16 REGIONAL NEWS NEWSViet NamYouthspeak outin ARSH forumSource: RHIYA Viet Nam. For a full-textcopy of RHIYA’s resources, such as theadvocacy and BCC strategy documents,the ARH toolkit and a baseline survey,or for more information on RHIYA VietNam activities, contact: Sita MichaelBormann, Programme Coordinator,RHIYA via e-mail, sita@unfpa.org.vn.Visit: http://www.asia-initiative.org/projects_vietnam.htmlAT LEAST 60 YOUNG PEOPLE engaged in a dialogue with 40 key actorsin policy-making, mass media and NGOs during the Youth Forum onAdolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health held from 13 to 15 March2005 in Hanoi.Initiated by the Viet Nam Youth Union – a partner organization of the EU/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA) – the ARSHYouth Forum aimed to launch the newly developed advocacy and behaviourcommunication change (BCC) strategies of RHIYA Viet Nam (right); call attentionand support from key decision-makers and policy makers for ARSH-relatedactivities; and create an open dialogue between young people and key decision-makerson urgent issues and needs related to adolescent health.Young people worked in groups to discuss the key issues earlier identifiedin RHIYA Viet Nam’s BCC and advocacy strategies. These included issues onunwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion, sexual abuse, sexually transmittedinfections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Following the identification of determinants andpossible solutions for these problems, each working group shared the resultsand key messages in creative ways such as role plays, fashion shows and singingperformances.All participants, including decision makers and other stakeholders, appraisedthe Youth Forum as a valuable opportunity for young people to raise their voiceabout their problems and needs relating to ARSH. Did youknow that:• Viet Nam has a young population: Out of 82 million, more thanhalf (52 per cent) are under 25 years of age, and about 25 percent are 15 to 24 years of age.• An estimated 62 per cent of HIV carriers in Viet Nam are between20 and 29 years old.• While premarital sex is increasing, the use of moderncontraceptives is very low. Athough many young people haveknowledge of one or more methods of contraceptives, they havelow knowledge of how to use them.• Viet Nam has one of the highest abortion rates in the world,estimated to reach 1 to 2 million every year; 30 per cent of whichare among young unmarried women.Source: RHIYA Viet NamPhoto source: RHIYA Viet Nam”Youth are presently facing many ARSH-relatedproblems, such as unwanted pregnancy, STIs andHIV/AIDS… These are due to lack of knowledge aboutARSH, lack of services for youth and lack of counselingopportunities for the youth. These problems can onlybe solved by having enabling policies and strategiesand joint commitments of the Government, massorganizations, parents and the youth.”Dr Luong Phan Cu, Vice Chairman of the Departmentfor Social Issues, National Assembly

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200517IN BRIEFRHIYA Viet Nam Advocacy and BCC StrategiesAdvocacy StrategyFour immediate advocacy issues that need to beaddressed in Viet Nam include: unwanted pregnancyleading to unsafe abortion among unmarried girls;reproductive tract infections and sexually transmittedinfection; HIV/AIDS; and sexual abuse. In response,partners under RHIYA Viet Nam developed advocacyactions that focus on increasing the involvement andcontribution of the Youth Union in ARSH activities.These will be done at two levels:1At the Central Level, the Youth Union/RHIYAProject Management will seek a more active rolein the development of the National Master Plan forAdolescent and Youth Health.2At the provincial and commune level, the advocacyactions are to enlist more active support of localhealth authorities and local leaders to:• Increase the use of ARSH services in the 22 youthfriendlycorners (YFC) of RHIYA Viet Nam.• Obtain additional resources from the Provincial People’sCommittee and relevant departments to sustain ARSHservices in selected YFC corners.• Promote greater involvement of local NGOs and peopleliving with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in HIV/AIDS programmes,especially on activities related to reducing the stigmaand discrimination against PLWHA.• Enable the Youth Union to effectively implement ARSHextra-curricular activities for in-school adolescents.• Get support from the People’s Committee for sexualabuse prevention activities among parents andadolescents in the community. Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) StrategyThe BCC strategy framework in Viet Nam follows a systematic approach that defines the: a) BCC goal; b) objectivesor health-promoting behaviours promoted through key communication messages; c) determinants or motivesfor target groups to practice or not to practice the BCC objectives, and the corresponding specific communicationmessages to address the key determinants; d) project activities or interventions and delivery of key messages; ande) methods or specific educational activities to meet the intervention objectives, while accessing channels or targetgroups, by sources – people and organizations who implement the intervention and deliver the communicationmessage. The goal of the BCC strategy is to minimize the five most serious reproductive and sexual health problemsfaced by youth in Viet Nam. A set of 20 health-promoting behaviours were defined to meet the objectives of BCC:Minimize teenage/unwanted pregnancy1 Delay/refuse the first sexual intercourse2 Avoid/escape risky situations leading to unwantedsexual intercourse3 Use effective contraceptives during sexual intercourse(condom, daily pills and emergency contraception pills)4 Male adolescents/youth (A/Y) share responsibility inpreventing unwanted pregnancy of their partnerMinimize (unsafe) abortion5 Use emergency contraception pills in-time6 Use reliable and professional SRH services or youthfriendycorners (YFCs) for counseling on safe abortion7 Male A/Y share responsibility when their girlfriendface unwanted pregnancyMinimize sexual harassment and abuse8 Avoid risky situations leading to sexual abuse9 Protect yourself in risky situations leading to sexualabuse10 Mobilize support after sexual abuse (trusted adult(s)/(mental) health care/ legal support)Minimize RTIs/STIs and HIV/AIDS11 Keep reproductive organs clean and always ensurehygiene/menstruation hygiene12 Delay/refuse the first sexual intercourse13 Use condoms correctly during every sexual intercourse14 Do not have many sexual partners15 When needed, use disposable syringes and needlesand do not share with other people16 Do not abuse alcohol and drugsMinimize discrimination of peopleliving with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)17 For adolescents/youth living with HIV/AIDS(A/YLWHA): Avoid For self-stigma; actively participatein social activities18 For people surrounding PLWHA: Treat PLWHA as equalsCross-cutting health-promoting behaviours19 Seek sexual and reproductive health (SRH) informationto SRH problems20 Use reliable and professional SRH and counselingservices and YFCs in time ARH Toolkit and Youth-Friendly CornersRHIYA Viet Nam has also developed the ARH Toolkit fordirectors and staff of the Department of Health (DoH)commune health stations, district health centres and NGOswho work with young people to plan, establish and monitoryouth-friendly corners (YFCs) and youth-friendly services intheir health units. It may also be used by youth leaders,community facilitators and peer promoters.The toolkit is not intended to be a “step-by-step guide”on how to set up a YFC. Instead, it provides programmingand implementation methods, tools and reference materialsin two volumes. The tools and methods offered in Volume 1of the kit include questionnaires for information collection,systems and formats for planning and budgeting, methodsof quality control, games and teaching materials, checklistsand others. Reference materials found in Volume 2 includearticles for private study, training materials, and alternativemethods and tools.

18Innovative approach tohealth educationRadio drama inJingpo languagebrings HIV preventionmessage to minoritycommunitiesHIV, TRAFFICKING AND DRUG-USE preventionefforts among youth are given a refreshingly newface through an educational radio soap operawritten and performed wholly in the Jingpo language– the lingua franca of vulnerable and at-risk groups ofKachin adolescents in Northern Myanmar and the Yunnanprovince of Southwestern China.The soap opera entitled “Life ofTragedies” was researched, writtenand produced by UNESCO Bangkok’sCulture Unit and the Yunnan People’sBroadcasting Station within the frameworkof the HIV/AIDS and PreventiveEducation in Cross-Border Areasof the Greater Mekong Subregionproject, which was funded by theAsian Development Bank.Based on extensive research andfield work over the last decade,UNESCO has developed a uniqueand innovative methodology forproducing culturally acceptable radioprogrammes in minority languages.These programmes provide a meansto educate target audiences of ethnicminority youth and young women onissues of HIV/AIDS, trafficking anddrug abuse.Research for the programmewas carried out in Jingpo villages inDehong Prefecture by a local team ofresearchers together with the localco-ordinator from the broadcastingstation, researchers from theDevelopment Institute for Traditionand Environment, and UNESCO expertDr Heather Peters. The researchformed the basis of the scripts of theradio drama, which was completed inFebruary 2004.“Life of Tragedies” tells the story ofKo San, a young Jingpo woman wholeaves her village together with GamJa, her village sweetheart and fiancé,to start a small business in the nearbytown. Tragically, Ko San contractsHIV when she buys blood needed forher operation at the black market.The narrative treats her subsequentdecision to hide her illness from herfiancé, family and friends. She evenresolves to break her engagementto protect her fiancé. She suffersin silence for many months beforedeciding to reveal her status. Theplot shows how Ko San finds solaceand acceptance among her familyand friends after she finally tellsthem of her tragic and ultimatelyfatal illness.The story also treats the very realproblem of intravenous drug useamong young Jingo men, coupledwith the lack of HIV/AIDS knowledgeamong many young villagers. Otherissues tackled by the programmeinclude HIV/AIDS transmission andprevention, human trafficking prevention,injected drug use prevention,healthy relationships, copingwith peer pressure, and other lifeskills.In May and July 2004, thebroadcasting station togetherwith UNESCO took a pilot of theprogramme to several villages.Before producing the final set ofprogammes, the author, with assistancefrom the station, incorporatedcomments and suggestions fromthe local people. Contrary to initialPhoto source: Bao Hongnan and Yang Huifang

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200519concerns about Jingpo traditionalmodesty with regards to sexual matters,several older Jingpo womenrecommended that the language ofthe script be more direct so that theyounger Jingpo received and understoodthe messages clearly.In order to maximize the messagedelivered by the soap opera and tomeet the demands of local healthauthorities for culturally appropriateeducational materials, UNESCO andthe Yunnan People’s BroadcastingStation reproduced the programme.Originally recorded on four cassettesor four CDs, the 330-minuteradio programme was replicated in1,400 sets and distributed to the260 villages in Yunnan Province,the Dehong Prefecture Committeeand Propaganda Committee, countyadministrative offices, Jingpo autonomoustownships, and the DehongMinority Language Committee.UNESCO Bangkok’s Advocacy andEducational Support to AdolescentReproductive Health (ARH) projectcontributed to the reproduction oftapes through funds from UNFPA. Theradio staff will soon be conducting afollow-up survey to assess the impactof the recordings. Source: UNESCO Bangkok Office of theRegional Advisor for Culture in Asia andthe Pacific. Visit: http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=1020. Contact: Dr DavidFeingold via e-mail, d.feingold@unescobkk.org, or Dr Heather Peters via e-mail,h.peters@ unescobkk.org.Reducing RH risks of adolescent refugeesLessons Learned from Eleanor Bellows Pillsbury FundONE CAN ONLY IMAGINEthe life of the conflictaffectedadolescent. Thetrauma of hearing gun blasts justover one’s head, the emotionalordeal of having to witness deathand violence (especially thoseinvolving kin) and deal with separation,the challenge of extreme poverty,in addition to the particularneeds of a growing person are butsome of the realities adolescentsare forced to face in a place wherearmed conflict rules. Aggravatingthis situation is the young person’slack of opportunities for decenteducation, health care, livelihood,recreation and family support.The weakening of traditionalsocio-cultural constraints makesadolescent refugees even morevulnerable to sexual abuse andexploitation. They may face forcedprostitution; sexual intercourse ata relatively young age; unprotectedsexual intercourse, leading topregnancy, sexually transmitteddiseases or abortion; and shortageof youth-friendly reproductivehealth services.Recognizing these concerns, theWomen’s Commission for RefugeeWomen and Children establishedthe Eleanor Bellows Pillsbury Fundfor Reproductive Health Care andRights for Adolescent Refugees(EBP Fund) in 2000. The fundprovided small grants to both localand international organizationsto initiate projects focused on thereproductive health of young peoplecaught in armed conflict.The EBP Fund has reached conflictaffectedadolescents in Asia, Africa,Eastern Europe, Latin America andthe Middle East. An intensive trainingprogramme was conducted toprevent HIV/AIDS among teenageBhutanese refugee girls in Nepal. Asmall grant was also provided to thefocal point of the Burmese AdolescentLessons LearnedReproductive Health NetworkingGroup (ARHNG), which is a consortiumof 13 local NGOs workingon behalf of adolescent, Burmeseforced migrants in the Thai-Myanmar border.The EBP Fund closed down byearly 2004, but it leaves the rest ofus with rich lessons on implementingreproductive health projects forconflict-affected adolescents:Effective reproductive health projects for conflict-affected adolescents1 are not formulaic; rather these are varied and are creatively designedto be culturally appropriate and to meet the specific and pressingneeds of young people in the particular community.Conflict-affected communities, especially their teenagers are highly2 motivated to improve their locality’s adolescent reproductive health,but they need capacity-building, sufficient training and education, andtechnical support to maximize the success of their projects.Adolescent reproductive health projects must involve and identify3 refugee young people in the design, implementation and evaluation ofall project activities to ensure they are full participants in the activitiesthat affect their lives. This is also pursuant to the recommendation ofthe 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.Peer-to-peer education not only provides for full and meaningful adolescentparticipation but also maximizes project impact while minimiz-4ing project costs, given careful project monitoring and quality training.Community and family support is also integral for a project’s success.Networking can help close gaps in service provision and strengthen5 limited capacities by facilitating close collaboration and coordinationamong numerous and diverse adolescent reproductive health projectswithin a particular region. Source: Julia Matthews and Sheri Ritsema. Addressing the needs of conflict-afflictedyoung people . Forced Migration Review. January 2004. Vol 1. Issue No.19. Visit:http://www.fmreview.org/FMRpdfs/FMR19/FMR1902.pdf#search=’ARHNG’

20 GOOD PRACTICESGuides to HIV/AIDSprogrammingWhere does one begin when designing, monitoring or evaluating HIV/AIDS programmes for the young? Certainly not from scratch. Plannersand implementers will find it useful to refer to the following toolsdeveloped from the experiences of international organizations.Guide 1FrameworkforactiontoHIV/AIDS prevention and care for young peopleTHIS STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDE developed by theWorld Health Organization and the UK Departmentfor International Development (DFID) suggests a focuson three key areas for action in HIV/AIDS programming– risk reduction, vulnerability reduction and impactmitigation. Recommended objectives and strategiesunder each priority area are provided:Reduction of RISKObjectives:• promotion of safer sex (including abstinence,delayed sexual initiation and the consistentuse of condoms)• encouragement of risk reduction in drug use(including use of clean injecting equipment)• detection and early treatment of other sexuallytransmitted infections• use of voluntary and confidential counselingand testing• prevention of HIV transmission from infectedmothers to their infants• prevention of HIV transmission through infectedblood and blood products• prevention of HIV transmission within thehealth care settingStrategies:• information, education and communication (IEC)and behaviour change communication (BCC)• school-led education• skills-building education• peer education• outreach work with young peoplein difficult circumstancesReduction ofVULNERABILITYObjectives:• establishment ofsocial networks and peer relations that model andpromote norms for safer behaviour• increasing family and peer trust and support• development of schools as more inclusive, gendersensitive and protective environments• ensuring risk groups’ access to commodities (e.g.condoms and clean injecting equipment) shown to havea demonstrable effect in preventing HIV infection• provision of health services in ways and at times thatyoung people find appropriate• induce economic and political action that promotespositive educational, employment and healthopportunities;• development of legal provisions that guarantee youngpeople’s right to the full range of information andresources to protect themselves (and their partners)against infection• combat against stigma, discrimination and denialthrough systematic efforts• reduction of economic and gender disparities that fuelthe epidemic• building of supportive social norms and social inclusion.Strategies:• legal, political and economic action and reform• development and implementation of healthy public policy• social and community mobilization• provision of rights based education for empowerment• re-orientation of existing service provision; and socialnetwork development to cultivate a sense of trust

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200521Mitigation of IMPACTObjectives:• reduction of financial and social impact of the epidemicon individuals, families and communities• enhancement of health access for those orphaned as aresult of HIV/AIDS to health, nutrition and education• promotion of livelihood and vocational education foryoung people• improvement of access to care, social support,voluntary and confidential counseling and testing, andanti-retroviral therapy• improvement of access to services to prevent themother-to-child transmission of HIV• increase of access to legal services and human rightsprotectionStrategies:• strengthening national and local systems of governance• developing sound economic and social programmes• support for more effective HIV/AIDS programming• action to increase access to essential commodities(including anti-retroviral drugs)• improving the capacity of community organizations tocarry out their work• enhancing the role of schools and other forms ofeducational provision to offer broad-based support• increasing community and external investments inhealth, social services, education and agriculture,among other means Source for Guide 1: Aggleton, Peter, Elaine Chase and Kim Rivers. 2004. HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care among Especially VulnerableYoung People: A Framework for Action. WHO and UK DFID. Visit: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/prev_care/en/evypframework2004.pdfGuide 2Health service modelfor protecting youth from HIV/AIDSIN MARCH 2003, the World HealthOrganization arranged a globalconsultation, in collaborationwith UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF andYouthNet, on the health serviceresponse to the prevention and careof HIV/AIDS among young people.One of the outcomes is a publicationproviding an overview of the follow-ing health service interventions thatare important to achieving the globalgoals on young people and HIV/AIDS:information and counseling; reducingrisk through condoms and harmreduction; and the diagnosis, treatmentand care of STIs and HIV/AIDS.Also described are the key strategiesfor delivering these interventions,the quality characteristics of effectivehealth services for young people, andissues for consideration when developingnational targets for measuringprogress. Below is a summaryof the health service interventionspropounded by the publication asa “service model” to meet youngpeople’s needs:Information and counseling. The health sector provides informationthrough clinics, health centres, and pharmacies, and mobilizes others toprovide information broadly in the community, schools and the media.Guidance and counseling are widely available. Health systems giveleadership and validate information.Reducing harm. Condoms for sexually active young people are widelyavailable free and at low cost at clinics, health centres, community outlets,hang out places, kiosks, vending machines, clubs etc. Adolescents whoinject drugs access harm reduction measures through specialized outreachteams, clinics, pharmacies etc. with links to cessation and rehabilitationservices.Diagnosis, treatment and care. Treatment and management of STIs foryoung people are widely available through a range of service providers.Confidential and adolescent friendly HIV testing and counseling is availablethrough clinics and outreach services. Care at home and in hospitals forthose who are infected and become ill. ARV treatment as appropriate. Source for Guide 2: Protecting young people from HIV and AIDS: The role ofhealth services, written and produced for WHO by Peter McIntyre, Oxford, UK(petermcintyre@btconnect.com). Visit: http://www.who.int/childadolescent-health/New_Publications/ADH/ISBN_92_4_159247_8.pdf

22GOOD PRACTICESGuide 3Indicators for evaluatingyouth HIV/AIDS programmesSource for Guide 3: World HealthOrganization. 2004. National AIDSprogrammes: A guide to indicators formonitoring and evaluating nationalHIV/AIDS prevention programmes foryoung people.Visit: http://www.who.int/entity/hiv/pub/epidemiology/en/napyoungpeople.pdfTHE WORLD HEALTH Organizationhas developed 30 indicators(below) for monitoring and evaluatingHIV/AIDS programmes for young people.The indicators, listed below, areclassified into four categories:•Programmatic indicators can beused to assess the essential componentsof HIV/AIDS prevention interventionsfor young people at the nationallevel, and can often be used to trackchanges over time. They include measuresrelating to policy, funding andspecific programme coverage.•Determinant (risk factors and protectivefactors) indicators are not causallyrelated to HIV infection amongyoung people, but contribute to risktakingbehaviour and vulnerability, orprovide some protection against HIVinfection. They include young people’sknowledge, attitudes and perceptions,general beliefs and attitudes heldby adults regarding young people’saccess to health information, andmeasures of the quality of the relationshipbetween young people and theirprimary caregivers.•Behavioural indicators measureindividual young people’s actions thatdirectly affect biological outcomes.They include measures of condomuse, injecting drug use, commercialsex, the proportion of young peoplewho have had sex early in life, andthe numbers of sexual partners thatyoung people have had. In addition,several indicators are included thatare not causally related to HIV infection,but contribute to young people’svulnerability, e.g. forced sexual relations,and cross-generational sexualpartnerships (especially among youngwomen).•Impact indicators capture measuresof impact at the population level,i.e. epidemiological measures, mostnotably HIV prevalence rates amongyoung people, and specific subgroupsof young people.For more details about the indicatorsand their respective tools formeasurement as well as their priorityfor different stages of the HIV/AIDSepidemic, download an online copyfrom the WHO website (see Source). Programmatic indicators1 National index on policy related to young people andHIV/AIDS; 2 National funds spent by government onHIV/AIDS prevention programmes for young people;3 Provision of life skills-based HIV/AIDS educationin schools; 4 Institutionalizing youth-friendly healthservices; 5 Use of specified health services by youngpeople; 6 Condom availability for young people;7 Young, drug-injecting users reached by HIV/AIDSprevention services; 8 Young people’s participation inHIV prevention programmes;Determinant indicators9 Knowledge of HIV prevention among young people;10 Knowledge of a formal source of condoms amongyoung people; 11 Sexual decision-making amongyoung people; 12 Perceptions of peers’ sexual activity;13 Connection to a parent or primary caregiver;14 Regulation of young people’s behaviour by a parentor primary caregiver; 15 Adult support of education oncondom use for prevention of HIV/AIDS among youngpeople;Behavioural indicators16 Sex before the age of 15; 17 Condom use amongyoung people who had higher-risk sex in the precedingyear; 18 Safe sexual behaviour among young people;19 Forced sex among young people; 20 Age-mixing insexual partnerships among young women; 21 Sex withcommercial sex workers among young people; 22 Sexamong young people while intoxicated; 23 HIV testingbehaviour among young people; 24 Condom use duringanal sex among young men who have sex with men(MSM); 25 Safe practices among young injecting drugusers (IDUs); 26 Condom use among young commercialsex workers;Impact indicators27 HIV prevalence among young pregnant women;28 HIV prevalence among young people in communitybasedsurveys; 29 HIV prevalence in subpopulationsof young people with high-risk behaviour; 30 Youngpeople with sexually transmitted infection.

23aDOLESCENCE education newsletter 23Vol.8, No.1 .June 2005Asia-PacificARSH information needs ofdecision makersand practitionersFINDINGS OF A NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEYconducted in 2004 among 86 representativesof governmental agencies, NGOs, educationalinstitutions and international organizations workingin adolescent reproductive and sexual health led tothe following recommendations to better serve theinformation needs of ARSH stakeholders’ needs.Country-specific needs. The maininformation that must be supplied to support theimplementation of ARSH activities should coversubject matters on ARSH education and services,reproductive health issues (such as HIV/AIDS/STIs,life skills education, gender, counseling, teenpregnancy and parenting, and contraception), aswell as communication strategies, and monitoringand evaluation. The information should come inthe form of IEC/BCC/advocacy materials, as well asresource and training materials.Information mechanisms. Current ARSHactivities in different countries serve the purposesof awareness-raising, advocacy, education, skillsbuilding and provision of ARSH services. Strongersupport is needed to strengthen the development ofIEC/BCC materials, and training materials to improvein-school, out-of school youth and peer education,as well as adolescent centres to provide ARSHservices. Relevant and useful types of materials tosupport ARSH activities should include training andteaching materials, manuals, and resource materialsin the form of CD-ROMs, videos and researcharticles. A higher proportion of the information sentto organizations should be in print rather than inelectronic format. At the same time, the Internetfacilities of NGOs and GOs should be increasedin order to improve their access to informationavailable from the Internet.Repackaging and dissemination. MoreARSH websites with improved contents need tobe developed. Contents of ARSH websites shouldaddress ARSH services, RH and gender issues, ARSHresearch, monitoring and evaluation, lessons learnedand best practices, life skills, sexuality education,HIV/AIDS, youth profiles and websites, and advocacyand communication strategies. Source: UNESCO Bangkok/UNFPA. 2005. Information NeedsAssessment on ARH in Selected Countries in Asia and thePacific. Bangkok: UNESCO.BangladeshSexual health knowledge ofadolescents inremote districtSAVE THE CHILDREN COMPLETED A STUDY TObetter understand the reproductive and sexualhealth needs and current knowledge, attitudes andpractices of adolescents (ages 10 to 19). Conductedin one of the remote sub-districts of Brahmanbaria,Bangladesh, the study had the ultimate goalof refining its project, Knowledge and AttitudeImprovement of Sexual Health for Adolescents’Responsibility (KAISHAR). It was found thatadolescents had very little knowledge about theirreproductive system and its functions, including themenstrual cycle. Many normal physical functionsand sexual behaviours, such as nocturnal emission(wet dreams) and masturbation, were consideredabnormal. Both male and female adolescentsdescribed stories of coercive premarital sex.Adolescents were aware of many cases of unwantedpremarital pregnancies and their negative impact.They have the least information on the transmissionof HIV/AIDS, STDs and RTIs. They have very littleinformation and access on the use of contraceptivemethods or correct information on reproductivehealth. Existing service delivery facilities were notenough to deal with adolescent problems. Thesefindings indicate the necessity and importance of anational reproductive and health care programme tobe developed for young impressionable adolescents.While there is a need for haste, caution must be takennot to offend key community members who are reliedupon to assist in the KAISHAR endeavour. Source: Save the Children. 2003. Report on assessmentof reproductive and sexual health needs of adolescents inNasirnagar, Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh. Dhaka: Save theChildren USA.

24 RESEARCH BRIEFSCambodiaNational survey revealsrisk-takingbehaviour of youthTHE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SURVEY involving 9,388youth (aged 11 to 18) in 24 provinces ofCambodia showed that many young people engagein risky behaviour. Among those engaged in riskyactivities, many started at a very young age – havingsex as early as 11 among out-of-school youth, anddrinking alcohol by the age of 12. In-school youthwere likely to take less risks than out-of-schoolyouth, about half of whom are illiterate. A third ofsexually active youths never wore condoms, andabout a quarter were not aware of sexually transmittedinfections. More than 90 per cent knew howto avoid HIV/AIDS, but only 53 per cent had beeneducated on HIV/AIDS.Although less than two per cent reported sexualactivity, a third of all youth personally knew of youngmen taking part in gang rapes. Among those havingsex, 40 per cent said they did so after drinkingalcohol. Less than one per cent claimed to use drugs,but 21 per cent said amphetamines were available intheir local area.Ninety per cent of young Cambodians neverwore helmets when riding a motorcycle. Less than 40per cent ate fruit or vegetables daily, and almost halfnever exercised. Ninety per cent of Cambodia youthhave thought about committing suicide.These findings will be taken as national baselinedata for reproductive health interventions. Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports,Department of Pedagogical Research. 2004. CambodiaNational Youth Risk Behaviour Survey. Phnom Penh: UNICEFand UNESCO.IndiaInterpersonal communication:Best way to improveHIV/AIDS attitudeINTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION was found themost effective individual method of correctingattitudes that contributed to the stigma experiencedby people with HIV/AIDS. Such attitudes werefound prevalent among the 15 to19 age groupaccording to a study among 1,000 students inJamnagar City, India, from January to August 2003.Other intervention methods tested in the studywere pamphlet distribution, video show and acombination of the three methods. Pre-interventionand post-intervention tests taken by students threemonths apart showed that next to the combinedmethod, interpersonal communication was the mosteffective way of increasing students’ sympathy andreducing their coercive, avoidance and blamingattitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS. Pamphletdistribution was the least effective method. Allinterventions led to remarkable improvement inknowledge and awareness on HIV/AIDS. Source: Raizada, Neeraj, Chitra Somasundaram, JP Mehtaand VP Pandya. 2004. Effectiveness of various IEC inImproving Awareness and Reducing Stigma Related toHIV/AIDS among School Going Teenagers. Indian Journal ofCommunity Medicine. Vol 29. No. 1.

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200525PhilippinesTwin studies reveal adolescentreproductive healthneeds in Northern MindanaoTWO RESEARCH STUDIES WERE UNDERTAKENto inform the Population Services PilipinasIncorporated (PSPI) on appropriate interventionsand strategies for its project on preventing HIV/AIDS among adolescents in Northern Mindanao,Philippines. The studies were conducted by theResearch Institute for Mindanao Culture of XavierUniversity, Ateneo de Cagayan. The first studyamong 136 respondents showed that adolescents’knowledge on sexual and reproductive health wasdeficient and the concept of reproductive rightswas alien to most. Although there was a highawareness of HIV/AIDS/STI and sexually transmitteddiseases, unprotected sex was understood mainlyas a sex act that would result in pregnancy. Theadolescents lacked knowledge on how contraceptionmethods work. Although they admitted theirlack of knowledge about sex and sexuality, mostnever attempted to seek information on sexualand reproductive health; a handful that tried weredismissed because their sexual and reproductivehealth problems were not considered important.Some expressed discontent on the lack of facilities,medicine, and privacy.For most, early sexual engagement was notacceptable, yet respondents perceived that males,but not females, are allowed to engage in earlysexual encounter. Very few respondents wereoriented to the prevention of unintended pregnancy.The overwhelming response of both male and femalerespondents was to induce abortion as a response tounwanted pregnancy. The study also drew attentionto rampant risky behaviours among adolescentsincluding smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, anddrug use.Validating the above findings was anotherassessment on reproductive health policies andservices for adolescents in four provinces and fourcities of Northern Mindanao. Completed in April2005, this second study was conducted among111 adolescents, 20 public and private serviceproviders, as well as 20 administrators and policymakers. The study revealed the absence of sexualand reproductive health programmes specificfor adolescents in public health centres, schoolsand workplaces. Public health service providersand health officers confirmed that their four coreprogrammes – safe motherhood and family planning,child care, prevention of infectious diseases,and promotion of healthy lifestyles – endorsedby the Department of Health did not specificallyfocus on adolescents. Some of the servicesdesired by adolescents, but not made available tothem in health centres, are: pap smear, cervicalcancer screening, reproductive tract and sexuallytransmitted infection screening, care for victimsof violence, care for patients with post-abortioncomplications, and HIV/AIDS testing. Adolescentsidentified early sexual engagement, STIs, teenagepregnancy, early marriage, unfair school and workpolicies, and the lack of information on sexual andreproductive health as problems, yet policy makersand administrators did not seem to agree. Overallthere was little political constraint but not enoughpolitical will to implement sexual and reproductivehealth programmes and services. Policy makers citebudgetary restriction as the primary reason behindthis.Researchers concluded that a comprehensivesexual and reproductive health programme bedesigned specifically for adolescents with emphasison the core topics of sexuality, STI/HIV/AIDS, familyplanning, prevention and management of abortion,violence against women, and a disseminationcomponent highlighting gender dimensions. Source: Population Services Pilipinas Inc.Pasay City, Metro ManilaRole-play. Youth Council officialsunder the Kartada Tres movementin Mindanao, Philippines, role-playa discussion between an ARSHadvocate and a recalcitrant mediapractitioner. This competencytraining helps youth leaders dealeffectively with the challengesof promoting adolescent sexualand reproductive health. KartadaTres, endorsed by the PopulationServices Pilipinas Inc., embodiesthree Ks – Karapatan (“Rights”),Kalusugan (“Health”) and Kabataan(Youth”).Photo source: Population Services Pilipinas Inc.

26 WEBLINKSYouthPolicywww.youth-policy.comContact:Nancy MurrayYouth-Policy.comFutures GroupSuite 200One Thomas Circle, NWWashington, DC 20005USAE-mail: yrh@policyproject.comYouth-policy.com is an onlineresource for improving youthreproductive health and HIV/AIDS policy worldwide. Its database,searchable by keyword or region,contains more than 100 full-textpolicies addressing youth reproductivehealth from over 40 countries.Launched in 2004, youth-policy.comis a joint effort of the POLICY Projectand YouthNet.Visit the “Making Policy” section ofthis site to access guiding principlesfor promoting youth participationand gender responsiveness. The sitealso includes key elements on STI/HIVinfection, fact sheets on reproductivehealth and policy summaries of somecountries.The “Tools and Links” sectionprovides case studies, papers, reportsand articles from countries worldwide.Several tools that can be adaptedfor youth reproductive health policymakingare offered. A directory and adiscussion forum are also available. GlobalYouthPartnerswww.unfpa.org/hiv/gypContact:Christian Gladel (Tel: 212-297-5195)Sunita Grote (Tel: 212-297-4981)Global Youth PartnersHIV/AIDS BranchUNFPA220 East 42nd StreetNew York, New York 10017USAE-mail: globalyouthpartners@unfpa.orgThe Global Youth Partnersinitiative is a new web spacelaunched by UNFPA with thefollowing aims: to strengthen thecommitment and investment on preventingHIV infection among youngpeople and promote their access toeducation, information and servicesin the area of HIV/AIDS. The initiativehas 39 youth partners working in 29participating countries.The site is divided into several sectionsto serve the needs of the youthand to rally for increased investmentfrom decision makers and otherstakeholders. Under the campaignstrategy section, different youthdrivenadvocacy campaigns for accessto HIV/AIDS information, educationand services are discussed. Youthadultpartnership is promoted in thecampaign. The status of global youthpartners’ activities and news updatesare presented. Country highlights andindividual profiles of youth partnersare also accessible in this site.

aDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 200527Countdown2015www.countdown2015.orgContact:Countdown 2015:info@countdown2015.orgYouth Group:youth@countdown2015.orgCountdown 2015: Sexual andReproductive Health and Rightsfor All is an initiative assessingthe progress and mapping the futureof the International Conference onPopulation and Development (ICPD)goals set in Cairo in 1994.Available in English, French,Spanish and Italian, the Countdown2015 website offers a “Youth” sectionthat highlights international eventspromoting youth reproductive andsexual health. Visit this sectionto download the Young People’sDeclaration for the South AsiaRegional Roundtable; to access the“Watchdog” newsletter, a youth spacefor Countdown 2015; or to knowmore about the Youth Committeeand its contribution to forwarding theICPD agenda.Webcasts of plenary sessionsand keynote speeches as well asupdates related to ICPD progress areavailable in the “News” section. Thesame section houses a calendar ofevents and brief reports on events byregion. Corresponding documents aredownloadable.Articles, documents, statements ofcommitment and facts and figures areavailable in the “Resources” section.It includes the Report Card on SexualReproductive Health and Rights, anonline tool that provides data from133 countries ranked against 13indicators of reproductive health andgeneral development, including ARSHrelatedindicators. Researches cancompare data sets for two countriesas well as download individual datasets or the entire report card. WBVHAwww.wbvha.orgContact:West Bengal Voluntary Health Association19 A Dr Sundari Mohan AvenueKolkata 700 014IndiaTel:+91-33-22460164Fax:+91-33-2244 6274E-mail: wbvha@giascl01.vsnl.net.inThe official website of theWest Bengal Voluntary HealthAssociation (WBVHA) describesthe organization’s work with students,mothers, health workers andgrassroots communities in the leastdeveloped areas of West Bengal andnearby areas of India.The website shares a briefbackground of WBVHA projects onadolescent health care and “TenderMinds,” a counseling initiativeespecially for youth and couples. Ashort list of WBVHA publications andmaterials as well as WBVHA’s projectpartners are also provided in thiswebsite.

28WEBLINKSNote of clarificationIn relation to the AEN December2004 article titled “Community-basedapproach to reproductive health:Lessons learned from Myanmar,” wewish to clarify that the UNFPA countryoffice in Myanmar, in collaborationwith the Japanese Organizationfor International Cooperation inFamily Planning (JOICFP), executedthe national project on behaviourchange communication, in partnershipwith the Central Health EducationBureau, Department of Health ofthe Ministry of Health of Myanmar.The intervention was part ofJOICFP’s regional project, whichreceived technical support from theInternational Planned ParenthoodFederation.Photo source: Bao Hongnan and Yang HuifangThe Adolescence Education Newsletter (AEN) is published twice a year (June and December) by Advocacy and Educational Supportto ARH, a project implemented by the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (Bangkok) within the InformationKnowledge Management Unit (IKM), through UNFPA funding under project RAS/5R/103. UNESCO Bangkok Director: Sheldon Shaeffer;IKM Chief, a.i. Gordon Johnston; AEN Team: Francisco H Roque, Amy Horton, Lichelle Dara Espada-CarlosWe welcome your comments, suggestions and contributions. Please e-mail arsh@unescobkk.org or address your correspondence to:UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for EducationARSH Project, Information and Knowledge Management UnitMom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building920 Sukhumvit Road, P.O. Box 967,PrakanongBangkok 10110 ThailandTo subscribe to our mailing list and receive monthly updates on ARSH news, events and publications in Asia and the Pacific region,send an e-mail to arsh@unescobkk.org.www.unescobkk.org/arsh

EDUTOOLSaDOLESCENCE education newsletterVol.8, No.1 .June 2005Source: UNESCO Bangkok. 2005. Reducing HIV/AIDS vulnerability among students in the schools setting: A teacher training manual.Visit: UNESCO Bangkok HIV/AIDS Coordination and School Health Unit, http://www.unescobkk.org/hivaids. Contact: aids@unescobkk.orgA1MODULE ONEBasic of Growing Up – UnderstandingAdolescence and Adolescent SexualityApproximate Time: 5 hours 30 minutesModule Message: As young people grow up, theyexperience many changes. However, they oftenremain unaware of how to responsibly copewith these physical and psychological changes.Sexual adjustment is important to the growthand development of an adolescent into a matureindividual. Attitudes to sexuality are formed earlyduring adolescence. The failure to communicateabout sexuality issues with parents and eldersresults in further anxiety. Parents leave the crucialtasks of talking to their children about sexualityto the schools, and teachers, themselves, may beuncomfortable and embarrassed to discuss theseissues with their students.Objectives:1. Know the facts about physical changes that takeplace during adolescence2. Identify the misconceptions about sex andsexuality3. Describe the facts about cognitive and emotionalchanges during adolescence4. Define the term sex and sexuality5. Identify the differences between sex and sexuality6. Identify the differences between sexual maturityamong young men and women7. Identify the persons and essential qualitiesneeded to care for HIV/AIDS infected or affectedpeople8. Distinguish between healthy and unhealthysexual behavioursContent Outline:1. Human reproductive system2. Sex, sexuality and sexual behaviours3. Misconceptions on sex, sexuality and sexualbehavioursLearning Activities:1. Understanding the parts of male and femalereproductive system and their functions throughbody mapping2. Understanding sex and sexuality through opendiscussion and exercise3. Understanding healthy and unhealthy sexualbehaviours and avoiding misconceptions aboutsex and sexuality4. Warm-up gameEvaluation: Question-answer on the following:1. What are the differences between the male andfemale reproductive systems? Can you point tothese using the body maps?2. When did you first notice a physical change inyour body? How did you feel?3. How do you feel about your body and yoursexuality? Why?4. What are the differences between healthy andunhealthy sexual behaviours?5. What are the misconceptions about sex andsexuality? Why?ACTIVITY 1.1Understanding Physical Changesduring Adolescence: Body MapsApproximate Time: 1 hour 30 minutesMaterials: Flip charts, markers, crayons, cello tape,scissors, and staplerObjectives:1. To discover the physical changes during puberty2. To be familiar with sexual organs and functions3. To know the biological facts about sexual maturityContent:1. Human reproductive system2. Biological facts about sexual maturityProcedure:Divide the participants into male and female groups.Explain that they will draw a body map to show thephysical changes in their bodies since they were10 years old (30 minutes). Preferably, the femalegroup makes the male body map and vice versa. Tomake the body map, groups may trace the outlineof a person lying down or standing up. The drawingshould not include clothes. Encourage the use ofcommon rather than technical language to namebody parts. Have a group representative mark out andexplain the physical changes on the map. If possible,display alongside the group maps a colourful bodymap you have prepared or bought beforehand.Encourage the participants to discuss in their groups thefollowing questions. (30 minutes):• How did you feel while drawing the body map? Why?• How did you feel about sharing the body maps witheach other? Why? • Why are there differences betweenthe male and female reproductive systems? Can youpoint these out using the body maps? • When didyou first notice a physical change in your body? Howdid you feel? • How do you feel about your body andyour sexuality? Why? • Do you discuss your body andsexuality with your friends? • Have you ever discussedthese issues with any adult? Why or why not? • Duringpuberty, what questions came to your mind, and wereyou able to get answers? Who did you talk to? • Wereyou curious about the changes in the body of theopposite sex? What questions came to your mind andwho did you speak with? • Do you know of any beliefsor taboos associated with these body parts? What arethey? • Why are there so many beliefs and taboosassociated with sexual body parts and sexuality?• How do you feel about the opposite sex? Why?Ask each group for a brief presentation of theiroutcomes of discussion. (10 minutes each)Evaluation:1. What is the importance of studying body mapping?2. In what ways are body changes useful in your life?Learning Outcomes:1. Familiarity with the human reproductive system2. Facts about physical and biological changes– sexual maturation – during adolescence3. Use of body mapping as an effective tool for healthworkers in creating awareness about the body andhealth problems4. Knowledge and skills for dealing with intimatehealth issues such as sexual health andgynaecological problems among women

A2EDUTOOLSTarget users of the source manual:teacher educators, teacher training facilitatorsBasic of Growing Up – UnderstandingAdolescence and Adolescent SexualityModule1ACTIVITY 1.2Understanding Changes during Adolescence:Sex, Sexuality and Sexual BehavioursApproximate Time: 1 hour 30 minutesMaterials: Flash cards, markers, blackboard/whiteboard,chalks, or large flip charts, plenty of condoms for icebreakinggamesObjectives:1. To develop a common understanding and definitionof the terms “sex,” “sexuality” and “sexualbehaviours.”2. To know sexual words – formal and slang – andrelate them to body parts and sexual functioning3. To understand the emotional and cognitive changesduring adolescence4. To differentiate the physical, emotional, psychologicaland cognitive changes among boys and girlsProcedure:1. Invite the participants to sit in a circle. Explain thatthe objectives of the session are to explore theirpersonal understanding of the terms, and thatthere are no right or wrong answers.2. Give one flash card to each participant; ask them toexpress their understanding of the term ‘sex’ and‘sexuality’ through either writing or drawing on theflash cards. (5-10 minutes)3. Ask the participants to read out or show their card,and display them on the wall chart.4. Allow the participants for query and discussion,and summarize the outcomes of discussion. (30minutes)• How did you feel while doing this exercise? Why?• What does the collage depict – ‘sex’ or ‘sexuality’?• Do you think there is a difference between ‘sex’and ‘sexuality’? Why or why not?5. Then distribute cards to all participants and askthem to write as many sexual words as possible.6. The participants should also write formal, as wellas slang, words; this will avoid stigmatization andimprove interpersonal communication on health.7. Facilitate a discussion using the followingquestions. (30 minutes)• How did you feel about doing this exercise in amixed group? Why? • Are there any differencesin the changes (emotional and cognitive) betweenthe males and the females? What? • Who aremore emotional? Why and why not? • How did youhandle the emotional changes? • Did you noticeany changes in the way the participants spokeduring discussion? • What are the strengths andweaknesses of this discussion? • What are theoutcomes? How would you summarize?Evaluation:1. Why it is important to understand about sex andsexuality?2. What is the educational and communicativeimportance in knowing about sexual terminology?Learning Outcomes:1. Familiarize learners with facts of sex and sexuality2. Develop a common understanding of ‘sexuality’and sexual behaviours3. Differentiate between healthy and unhealthy sexualbehavioursACTIVITY 1.3Understanding Sexual Maturation:Images of Sex, Beliefs and MisconceptionsAgree, Disagree, Don’t KnowApproximate Time: 2 hours 30 minutesMaterials: Flash cards, markers, large flip charts,scissors, old magazines or leaflets with pictures, thebody maps prepared during the previous session maybe reused, sticky tape, list of statements, signs thatindicate agree/disagree/don’t knowObjectives:1. To have an understanding of sexual behaviours2. To distinguish between healthy and unhealthysexual behaviours3. To identify misconceptions about sex andsexuality in the group4. To clarify misconceptions and beliefsProcedure:First session (1 hour 30 minutes)Explain the objectives. Divide the participants intogroups of three. Ask them to draw, create (from thedistributed magazines/leaflets) or write somethingrelated to sexuality/sex (30 minutes). Creationscan be funny, sad, ugly, happy or curious. Ask theparticipants to discuss their creations within theirgroups. Then have them summarize their discussionswhile you record their concerns on a flipchart. Ask the groups to display their work on thewall and give brief presentations (10 minutes each).Second session (1 hour)Invite the participants to put up around the roomthree signs (agree/disagree/don’t know) to beused in the exercise on myths and reality aboutsex and sexuality. Explain that as you read outsome statements, participants should decidewhether they agree, disagree or don’t know.Depending on their response, they should standunder the corresponding sign pasted on the wall.Ask them to give the reasons for their response.Then provide the correct response.As part of the evaluation, ask the participants tocomplete the list of statements and to sit in a circle.Facilitate a discussion using the following questions:• What are your observations on the exercise justcompleted? • Have you learned something fromthis exercise? What? • How do you feel about yourunderstanding of sex and sexuality? • Did yougain any insights into why you believe or disbelievecertain things? • After the exercise, will you be ableto clarify misunderstandings and doubts to yourfriends? • How will you inform your friends aboutthe new things you learned through this exercise?Evaluation: As part of the evaluation, you shouldobserve the participation and discussion duringthe end of the second session to assess whetherparticipants have gained the relevant knowledge.Learning Outcomes:1. Understanding of healthy and unhealthy sexualbehaviours2. Familiarity with misconception related sexualityand sex, and their clarification3. Developing life skills to address the issues thatare encountered during puberty and adolescence