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Reproductive Health Project for the Working Youth

Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Among Filipino Adolescents

A View from the Workplace

Conclusions and Recommendations

A. Knowledge augmentation

1. Broaden working youth's knowledge of STDs. There are other varieties of STDs apart from the ones they reported as gonorrhea, HIV and AIDS, syphilis, candidiasis, genital warts, public lice and scabies.

2. Continue imparting the correct definition of HIV and AIDS, especially the former definition as this was hardly known among the working youth.

3. Modify several misconceptions of the transmission routes of HIV. Examples of misconceptions requiring modification are those that specify that the virus is transmissible through mosquito bites or by holding someone with AIDS.

4. Broaden young people's knowledge of effective means of preventing pregnancies and STIs.

B. Attitudinal and behavioral formation

B.1 Restrained attitudes and practices

1. Promote the non-acceptability and non-practice of sexual relationships between single adolescents and married individuals;

2. Promote the acceptability and use of abstinence;

3. Promote the acceptability and practice of sexual intercourse only within marriage;

4. Promote the non-acceptability and non-adoption of sexual relationships among individuals who are not ready to face the dire consequence of sex;

5. Promote the acceptability and adoption of self-stimulation of masturbation as an alternative to dyadic intercourse;

6. Promote the acceptability and adoption of non-penetrative sexual acts as alternative sexual practices;

7. Strengthen the non-acceptance and non-adoption of abortion as the first course of action to resolving pregnancy;

8. Promote the acceptability and adoption of moderation in the practice of sexual and non-sexual behaviors; and

9. Promote the non-acceptability and non-adoption of sexual relationships without adequate and effective protection.

10. Promote the recognition, acceptability and use of individual's decision (rather than the decision of the partner or couple) as basis for using protection.

B.2 Permissive attitudes and practices

11. Promote the acceptability and adoption of sexual relationships so long as these are within the contexts of love relationships and with the view towards marriage;

12. Promote the acceptability and adoption of sexual relationships so long as adequate and effective protection is used.

13. Strengthen the acceptance and adoption of abortion as a justifiable recourse of action to resolving pregnancy; and

14. Further promote the acceptability and judicious use of contraceptives.

C.General

0.Include other non-sexual activities in the program's concerns, such as young people's patronage of pornographic materials, alcohol intake, drugs and the like;

1. Introduce alternative activities (such as sports and quiz games) in which healthy physical and non-physical lifestyles may be promoted;

2. Utilize television, advertisements, teachers, and movies as media for imparting messages;

3. Utilize similarly aged peers and young people as interpersonal channels of information and communication, but their knowledge and attitudinal base has to be broadened and developed.

4. Promote the seriousness of the immediate and long-term consequences of unprotected premarital sexual experience; and

5. Introduce non-judgmental, anonymous and accessible counseling services that adolescents can whenever problems arise.

6. For enhanced effectiveness and greater impact, impart messages using visuals, role-playing and emotion-rousing situations.

7. Embed all the foregoing suggestions within a sound theoretical framework.