AEGiS-14IAC: Institutionalizing an adolescent sexual health programme in Pakistan.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Institutionalizing an adolescent sexual health programme in Pakistan.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. E11458)

Braganza DB, Premjee SP
Aahung, Karachi, Pakistan

ISSUES: Adolescence, is a time of normal curiosity and rapid change. It's a crucial phase when an individual begins to search for answers to questions about the changes occurring in their bodies. In Pakistan, most adolescents are confronted with uncertainty as there are very limited reliable sources to turn to when it comes to finding answering to these questions.

DESCRIPTION: The AIDS Awareness Programme (AAP), a project of Aahung developed a life skills package, entitled Aware for Life-Adolescence (AFL-Adolescence), that addresses adolescent sexual health needs through sexual health awareness raising and skill building activities. It's important that the shroud of secrecy and shame surrounding sexual health in Pakistan be lifted. Therefore, after the successful development of the AFL-Adolescence package, the next step was to test strategies to institutionalize this curriculum into the existing services of NGOs, CBOs, and schools, thereby making it a regular feature of their services. A total of 6 contracts were signed and work commenced with trainings for trainers to introduce them to the topic of sexual health and to the AFL-Adolescence manual. This was followed by support visits to the implementing organizations to assist them in running the lessons.

ISSUES: AAP's experience in institutionalizing the curriculum showed that there are three steps to the process: -Involvement of Stakeholders in decision making and implementation thereby promoting ownership -Transparency and Commitment with influentials through meetings, contract signing and utilization of existing resources - Making it Happen, identifying key components of an effective life skills package and supporting the process

RECOMMENDATIONS: AAP has come to a close, and Aahung continues to institutionalize the AFL- Adolescence package with a variety of organizations. It's now essential that all programs for young people include the life skills package to make their approach

Keywords: AEGIS, Health, Sex Education, Pakistan, Health Services Needs and Demand, Health Education, Adolescent Health Services, School Health Services, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Adolescent Behavior, Demography, Curriculum, Health Promotion, Research, Decision Making, Adolescent Psychology, Health Services, Adolescent, Human, Adolescence

020707
E11458