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Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...

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Foreign workers.The method mix shows that male participati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is still very low. More c<strong>on</strong>certed efforts are neededto encourage <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> facilitate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> active participati<strong>on</strong> of males,<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> to reduce <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir objecti<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice of familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. Male participati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> shar<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> resp<strong>on</strong>sibilityto practise family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is identified as a vital strategyfor <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>creas<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g CPR. It is important to neutralize <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>stereotyp<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g or “fem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>izati<strong>on</strong>” of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> service as a whole;<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore, activities must <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volve both <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> health-careproviders <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> clients (Rosliza <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Majdah, 2010).A ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r high proporti<strong>on</strong> of couples are still us<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g traditi<strong>on</strong>almethods. Users of traditi<strong>on</strong>al methods represent a potentialtarget group for modern methods of c<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong>.However, religious issues <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> fear of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> side effects ofsome modern methods need to be addressed properly.With regard to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> high n<strong>on</strong>-use <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> disc<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>uati<strong>on</strong> rates,a wider range of c<strong>on</strong>traceptives methods, such as low-doseestrogen <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> l<strong>on</strong>g-act<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g formulati<strong>on</strong>s, need to be madewidely available with <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>creased coverage, as well as effortsto effectively reduce side effects.Much has been said about social <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> health problemsbrought about by foreign workers. With <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>creas<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gnumber of foreign workers <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Malaysia, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir reproductivehealth needs must be addressed. More c<strong>on</strong>certed efforts arerequired to prevent <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> spread of STIs <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> HIV/AIDSam<strong>on</strong>g this populati<strong>on</strong> group.The IEC programmes that had previously played a veryimportant role <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> promot<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g planned parenthood shouldbe <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tegrated <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reproductive health programme.There is also a need to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduce reproductive <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> sexeducati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to schools <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> order to prepare young peoplefor healthy <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> resp<strong>on</strong>sible liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. With <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> advent ofmodern <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> communicati<strong>on</strong>s technologies,IEC programmes can now be implemented more effectively<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> educat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> motivat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> public c<strong>on</strong>cern<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>benefits of planned parenthood <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>form<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>availability of reproductive health services. Appropriateprogrammes should be implemented for specific targetgroups to enable <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m to decide <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> number <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> tim<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gof births <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> to upgrade <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir socio-ec<strong>on</strong>omic <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> healthc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s. On a broader scale, IEC programmes shouldencompass promoti<strong>on</strong> by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> private sector <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> respect ofprovid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g services <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> areas where CPR islow.Adolescent sexuality has emerged as <strong>on</strong>e of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mostpress<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g social problems <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Malaysia. The ris<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g problemsof youth sexuality, teenage pregnancy <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>on</strong>edbabies have been highlighted <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> media. Strategiesare be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g developed <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> implemented to overcome suchproblems. The <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troducti<strong>on</strong> of reproductive health <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>social educati<strong>on</strong> must <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore be given high priority,especially now that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government has approved <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> policy<strong>on</strong> reproductive health <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> social educati<strong>on</strong>. The allianceof partners needs to be streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ned <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> advocat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>desensitizati<strong>on</strong> of SRH educati<strong>on</strong> so that it can be moreeffectively implemented. The M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of Educati<strong>on</strong> hasdecided to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduce sex educati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to schools, based <strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> previously menti<strong>on</strong>ed module “I Am <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>trol” under<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kafe@Teen project. The Kafe@Teen c<strong>on</strong>cept <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>strategies have proven to be acceptable to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community;hence, efforts will be made to streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> up-scale<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m. The Reproductive Health Adolescent Moduledeveloped by FRHAM should also be updated for widerdissem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong>.The HIV/AIDS p<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>emic has been a major c<strong>on</strong>cerns<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1990s. Measures implemented to combat HIV/AIDS <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clude blood screen<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> educati<strong>on</strong>campaigns, antiretroviral treatment, n<strong>on</strong>-discrim<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>atorypolicies <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> of c<strong>on</strong>doms. FRHAM hassuccessfully implemented many projects, some with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>assistance of UNFPA, to reach youth <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> women, especially<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> areas c<strong>on</strong>sidered sensitive. FRHAM has also been animportant partner <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fight aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st HIV/AIDS. Thevarious pilot projects should be exp<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> up-scaledwith assistance from UNFPA <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r agencies.Studies have shown <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> close l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>kage between reproductivehealth <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> HIV/AIDS <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> provided evidence ofimportant synergies between reproductive health <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>HIV preventi<strong>on</strong>, care <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> treatment <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terventi<strong>on</strong>s.Forg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g closer l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>kages between such programme areasshould result <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> significant public health benefits. WHO<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> UNFPA are currently c<strong>on</strong>duct<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t study aimedat streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>kages between HIV <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> SRH <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>Malaysia. UNFPA should c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ue to work with WHO,<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of Health <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r relevant agencies <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>implement<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes to reduce HIV <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fecti<strong>on</strong>through SRH programmes.To be effective, NPFDB must c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ue to work closely with<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> relevant government agencies, such as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ec<strong>on</strong>omic<str<strong>on</strong>g>Plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g</str<strong>on</strong>g> Unit, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of Health, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry ofEducati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of Informati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Treasury<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of Youth <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sport, all of which arerepresented <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Board. NPFDB must also engage <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>smart partnerships with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> private sector <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> NGOs,as well as <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>s of higher learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> implement<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se programmes. At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same time, it is necessary towork closely with United Nati<strong>on</strong>s agencies, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> particularUNFPA, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> engage <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ternati<strong>on</strong>al collaborati<strong>on</strong>.259

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