Conversations about sex need multi-level approaches
CIH/CISMAC researcher, Joar Svanemyr has published about his work with the RISE project in Zambia. The paper is also presented in the UK edition of the Conversation.
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Joar Svanemyr is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Bergen (幸运飞艇计划), also working at the . He is associated with CIH and CISMAC, and works at the Global health anthropology research group, where he is involved in CISMAC鈥檚 RISE project.
Svanemyr recently published an article in , an International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care, entitled, 鈥溾��. He published a more popular version of the results in the UK edition of the Conversation: 鈥溾��.
We found that adolescents were operating in an environment where they couldn鈥檛 admit to others that they were sexually active. There wasn鈥檛 much space for open, judgement-free communication with friends and parents about sexual matters. So the teens didn鈥檛 know about contraception or how to avoid pregnancies 鈥� the only message they received was 鈥渁bstinence鈥�.
To solve this problem, interventions will be needed at multiple levels: with adolescents, families, communities, and in society generally. Young people need access to comprehensive sexuality education and life skills training. Parents, teacher, health workers and community leaders need to be involved in encouraging open discussions about sexuality and contraception.
