A quarterly international newsletter on sexuality, sexual health, and sexuality education.
Volume 1, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2000
NEWS BRIEFS FROM THE KAISER DAILY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH REPORT
The following briefs have been taken from the Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report.
The articles are reprinted with permission from the Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report. The Daily Report is published for The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation by National Journal Group Inc. Copyright 2000 by National Journal Group Inc., 1501 M St., N.W., Washington, DC 20005. All rights reserved.
The Daily Report is Available in its entirety free on the Kaiser Family Foundation's Web site, http://www.kff.org. You may also register for free e-mail delivery at: http://www.kff.org/register
PUERTO RICO: GOVERNOR PROPOSES REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH MEASURES FOR ADOLESCENTS
Citing concern over the rising rates of pregnancy, AIDS and chlamydia among adolescents ages 13-29, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Rossello proposed a bill that would "give adolescents access to sex education and treatment for reproductive health, including contraceptive methods, without the knowledge or consent of their parents," the Orlando Sentinel reports. Rossello said, "Of course, it's important for the parents to know what their children are doing, but in those situations where some of the parents don't give them support or are simply not there, it's not fair for those teenagers to not get those services." The bill would require the health and education departments to offer STD treatment, reproductive health services, counseling, prenatal care and birth control. It provoked a storm of protest from conservatives, with protesters appearing at the Capitol bearing signs that read: "No to contraception. Abstinence is the solution. Rossello, you take the pill." Freddy Abdul, pastor for youth at the Iglesia Fuente de Agua Viva, said, "That's like telling kids who aren't planning to have sex to go ahead and plan to have sex." But the measure's supporters warned opponents to not treat a public health issue as a moral issue. Carmen Rivera Cespedes, executive director of the Puerto Rican Association for the Well-Being of the Family, said, "I think this measure is necessary and urgently needed in this country. Puerto Rico needs to look at this with the seriousness it deserves and not politicize it." Leaders in the Legislature said the bill "is going nowhere," but Health Secretary Carmen Feliciano and Education Secretary Victor Fajardo "vowed a fight in the Capitol to push the bill through." House Majority Whip Angel Cintron said, "We have to be calm and not take positions so early. Let's look at all the information and studies and evaluate the matter." (Roman, Orlando Sentinel, 9/6). Taken from: The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, September 9, 1999
JAPAN: OFFICIALS APPROVE FEMALE CONDOM
In November, Japan's regulatory body gave approval to the Female Health Company and its Japanese partner to market and distribute the female condom. The move followed a four-year development phase, during which Taiho Pharmaceutical, the Japanese partner, found the device 97% effective in preventing pregnancy. "Positive results from our clinical trials showed that the female condom has a very favorable relative overall acceptability rating of 89%," Taiho Pharmaceutical's Tatsuo Watanabe said, adding, "We will now be able to provide women in Japan with another option when it comes to protecting themselves and their overall health" (Reuters Health, 11/12). Taken from: The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, November 16, 1999
PHILIPPINES: SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAM TARGETS ‘STREET YOUTH’
In an effort to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies among Philippine’s street youth, the ReachOut Reproductive Health Foundation has launched a program to “address the reproductive health needs” of those teens. Funded by the Family Planning International Assistance office in Bangkok, Thailand, the project, Barkadahan, targets the country’s nearly 1.5 million street youth with sexuality education, treatment for HIV and STDs and family planning options. According to recent studies, 74% of all unintended pregnancies in the Philippines occur in women 15 to 24 years old and 18% of Filipino youths engage in premarital sex. Dr. Joselitio Vital, the Barkadahan program manager, said, “The Barkadahan project aims to make young people aware of the consequences of their actions through sexuality education. Reproductive health information and services are made available and accessible to those who need them.” (World Reporter/Asia Intelligence Wire, 11/1) Taken from: The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, November 4, 1999
VIETNAM: SEXUALITY EDUCATION CAFÉ OPENS IN HANOI
Faced with an increasing HIV-infection rate and an abortion rate thought "to be among the highest in the world," Hanoi health officials opened the city's first sexuality education café. According to the Ministry of Health, 1.5 million pregnancies are terminated each year; one-fifth of those by single women under age 20. Statistics also show that the 20-29 age group is "contracting HIV faster than any other age group." One AIDS counselor at the Window of Love café said that HIV infections are expected to reach 160,000 by the end of next year. The South China Morning Post reports that the café fills a void in sexuality education, as the subject is not taught in schools and "many parents admit they are too embarrassed to raise the issue with teenage children who are becoming increasingly sexually active." The counselor said, "It was time to talk about sex and its potential dangers more openly," adding, "There is a growing transformation of traditions. Pre-marital sex is becoming more widespread and we need to help people with knowledge of sex and reproductive health." The idea for the café stemmed from a study that detailed how young people spent their time and is modeled after a similar initiative in Ho Chi Minh City. Café manager Duong Thuy Hang said the cafe offers a place where young people can "spend time talking with their friends" and "freely ask for information about sex and AIDS." Although the café will not distribute condoms, a female physician specializing in reproductive health and an HIV/AIDS counselor are on hand to answer questions. On average, about 50 customers, ages 16-24, have visited the cafe every day since it opened in November. (Watkin, South China Morning Post, 12/20) Taken from: The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, December 21, 1999
SCOTLAND: CATHOLIC CHURCH CRITICIZES SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The Catholic Church in Scotland blasted a new sexuality education program that organizers hope will become widely adopted in that country, the Scottish Daily Record reports. The new program, called SHARE, is meant to cut the country's high rates of abortions and STDs among teens by finding the "best way to communicate with teenagers and promote safe sex." One session of particular concern to the Catholic Church is a final "condom session" that teaches older pupils how to fit condoms on a "specially made model." Father Tom Connolly, spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said, "Safe sex is no sex and it's time these people were brave enough to say that," adding, "The more you tell them, the more you want to experiment." But program organizer Daniel Wight disagreed, saying, "We are trying to move to a situation where boys and girls can discuss sexual issues sensibly. If they can achieve that in the classroom, they ought to find it easier to talk about it on a Saturday night, which is when it matters most." (Dow, Scottish Daily Record,11/15). Taken from: The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, November 17, 1999
CANADA: ALBERTA SCHOOL SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAM YIELDS RESULTS
Teens in Alberta, Canada, are postponing intercourse for longer than their counterparts in other Canadian provinces, leading some to argue that mandatory sexuality education programs play a role in encouraging teens to delay sexual activity, the Calgary Herald reports. According to a survey of 82,000 Canadians, only 8% of females in Alberta ages 15-19 said they had sex before age 15, compared to the national average of 13%. Among Calgary’s 15-19 year olds, 7% reporting having sex before age 15. Anne Mackay, a sex and reproductive health coordinator, attributes the finding to the compulsory sexuality education program in place in Alberta schools since 1990. “No other province has a similar across-the-board policy,” she said. Another explanation may be that Calgary teens have “easy access” to four family planning clinics in the city, Mackay said, adding that “Calgary’s teen pregnancy rate is among the lowest in Canada and the world.” Critics of the program disagree with Mackay’s assessment, and instead argue that an abstinence-based sexuality education program would drive down the figures even further. Tom Crites, spokesperson for the group “400-family Parents’ Rights in Education,” called Mackay’s claims “absolute trash,” arguing that “sex education doesn’t specifically counsel abstinence has always increased teen pregnancy and [STD] rates.” (Walker, Calgary Herald, 9/7) Taken from: The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, September 10, 1999
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