THE Davao City Youth Development Council (CYDP) will be tapping the youth leaders and volunteers to be reproductive health educators in coordination with the City Health Office (CHO).
According to the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act of 2015, the YDP is a multi-sectoral youth association of SK Pederasyon and composed of representatives of youth and youth-serving organizations in the province, city, or municipality. It is tasked to “assist in the planning and execution of projects and programs of the SK, and the Pederasyon in all levels.”
When it comes to reproductive health education, it is not something that our country can be proud off. This is evident with teens contracting human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/Aids) or some teens getting pregnant at an early age.
It is also a given fact that the media and internet are also primary suspects that spark the sexual curiosity of teenagers as well as pre-teens. In our current society, it will not be easy for parents to prevent their children from being exposed to sex. Some also fear to discuss sex with their children. This may lead to teens to continue exploring their sexual curiosities without any knowledge on what they are doing.
One way that we may prevent our children nowadays from premarital sex, which leads to unfavorable situations, is through reproductive health education. Through this, the youth will be able to understand the importance of their reproductive health, value their sexuality and virginity, and may also empower them as individuals.
The knowledge they have on reproductive health will not only prevent female teens from getting pregnant but it may also protect teens in general from contracting HIV/Aids or sexually transmitted diseases.
People should stop looking at reproductive health education as a means to encourage promiscuity among teens when in the first place that is not its intention at all. We should see reproductive health education as a means to protect the youth's sexuality and health through the knowledge we pass on to them.