Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
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Most of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> youth volunteers are <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formed about youthprogrammes <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> youth centres by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir friends <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>through HIV knowledge fairs. They attend youth tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gsto <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>crease <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir level of knowledge about reproductive<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> sexual health <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> share it with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r friends so that<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y too could avoid risky behaviour <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> diseases. InYang<strong>on</strong>, MMA has a comprehensive tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmefor pers<strong>on</strong>al <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> leadership development for youth. Forsuburban youth, AFXB has youth centres where practicalvocati<strong>on</strong>al tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g opens young people to job opportunitieswere <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y can ga<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r toge<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r for peer educator tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs.In rural areas, some youth are now peer educators for youth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir villages <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>duct outreach activities, provid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>go<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r youth <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> village with health educati<strong>on</strong> sessi<strong>on</strong>s.The community <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> families of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> youth appreciate<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se activities because of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> many positive changes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>yhave observed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> youth: <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>creased awareness about health,changes <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> lifestyle <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> behaviour <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> participati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>social work with parents. Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmore <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> youth becomegood leaders <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> organize many o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ryouth to jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se activities.The c<strong>on</strong>stra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> outreach activities are that work<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gyouth face difficulties <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> committ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir free timeto engage <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> group activities <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community; alsosometimes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y cannot answers questi<strong>on</strong>s that peers mightask dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g peer sessi<strong>on</strong>s. In Mawlamya<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Thaht<strong>on</strong>edistricts, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re has been migrati<strong>on</strong> of community youthpeer educators <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed volunteers, which served to<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>crease <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> attriti<strong>on</strong> rate of peer educators for socioec<strong>on</strong>omicreas<strong>on</strong>s. This programme needs to be exp<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>edto reach o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r youth <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> nati<strong>on</strong>.There is a need to produce IEC about sexually transmitted<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fecti<strong>on</strong>s (STIs) <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> to provide <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> peer educati<strong>on</strong>programme <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g sessi<strong>on</strong>s at universities; alsom<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g guidel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>es are needed for peer educators, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>more volunteer peer educators are needed to substitute fordropouts. There is a need to develop books of frequentlyasked questi<strong>on</strong>s compiled from such sessi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> distribute<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m to peer educators for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> purpose of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> shar<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gprecise, correct messages with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community.In l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> low ec<strong>on</strong>omic c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s that prevail <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>reis a need to exp<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> vocati<strong>on</strong>al tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g for out-of-schoolyouth who are unemployed. More advocacy is neededto exp<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> youth centres so that youth who are highlyvulnerable would be able to participate. For outreachactivities, peer educators need to be provided with m<strong>on</strong>eyto pay for transport (bicycles or trawlagy- motorized, locallyassembled-open-top vehicle). Accord<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> workplan forscheduled outreach activities, regular tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is neededfor <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> recruitment of new peer educators <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> refreshertra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to update <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> about reproductive 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 health-related issues. A forum is neededto enable <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> shar<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of experiences am<strong>on</strong>g youth <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>different townships; <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> additi<strong>on</strong> supplies of IEC materials<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>doms are needed c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>uously <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> adequatequantities 60 .These young peer educators can be resources for l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>preventi<strong>on</strong> of HIV/STIs to birth-spac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g services. Theycan advocate birth spac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> emergency c<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong>to reduce un<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tended pregnancies am<strong>on</strong>g young people.More youth-friendly spaces need to be developed whereyouth peer educators can <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>teract with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r village youthsfor ARSH educati<strong>on</strong>.Government, religious <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>public support for RH <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> birthspac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gprogrammesThere are nei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r significant restricti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> nor oppositi<strong>on</strong>to birth spac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Myanmar <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> terms of religious beliefsor cultural c<strong>on</strong>cepts, except <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government’s propensitytowards a pr<strong>on</strong>atalist populati<strong>on</strong> policy <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> cauti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>exp<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g c<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>trol over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> populati<strong>on</strong> 61 .Politically, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government has been becom<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g morepositive towards birth spac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, especially <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> later partof 2010 62 . This may be due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> publicati<strong>on</strong> by UNFPA<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2010 of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Report <strong>on</strong> Situati<strong>on</strong> Analysis of Populati<strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Development, Reproductive Health <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Gender <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>Myanmar, which highlighted birth-spac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g gaps <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> maderecommendati<strong>on</strong>s for birth-spac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g commodity securityfor a better RH outcome. PSI/Myanmar has been askedby <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Department of Health to support IUD tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs fortownship medical officers <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> has been requested to allowmidwives to refer IUD clients to Sun cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ics 63 . This is seenas a major shift for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Department which <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> past yearspersistently discouraged PSI/Myanmar’s IUD activities<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> rem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ded <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> NGO repeatedly to work passively<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> for each Sun cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ic not to carry out more than five<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>serti<strong>on</strong>s a day 64 .About 90 per cent of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> populati<strong>on</strong> of Myanmar isBuddhist. Buddhism welcomes large families <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> regards<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m as a bless<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. Christians <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Muslims comprise about5 <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 4 per cent of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> populati<strong>on</strong>, respectively, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rreligi<strong>on</strong>s toge<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r comprise about 1 per cent 65 . The peopleof Myanmar are made up of 135 nati<strong>on</strong>al races bel<strong>on</strong>g<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gto eight major groups: Kach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, Kayah, Kay<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, Ch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>,Bamar, M<strong>on</strong>, Rakh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Shan. There are more than 100languages <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> dialects spoken across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country.One of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ority religi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Myanmar is Christianity.Catholics do have reservati<strong>on</strong>s about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use ofc<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong>, which may affect a m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>or proporti<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>populati<strong>on</strong>. All citizens of Myanmar have equality <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> accessto educati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> health, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> enjoy freedom of worship275