5250.0: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 5:30 PM

Abstract #23767

Working with young men: Health, sexuality, gender and violence prevention

The paper presents the procedure and results of a collaboration between ECOS –Brazil, PAPAI –Brazil, Instituto Promundo –Brazil and Salud y Genero -Mexico to develop workshops, meetings and workbooks on the special needs of adolescent boys, including mental health, sexual and reproductive health, violence and fatherhood roles. The project was designed to raise awareness among governmental and non-governmental leaders on the special health needs of adolescent boys and on ways to work with boys to promote gender equity. Each workbook concentrates on one issue for adolescent males: mental health, sexual and reproductive health, violence among adolescents and fatherhood and work roles. They offer techniques and methods to address the health needs of adolescent males that have been ignored in the past. The workbooks also provide information on the current situation of youth in Latin America. The materials will be tested in February-March 2001 by four IPPF affiliates -- INPPARES/Peru, BEMFAM/Brazil, PROFAMILIA/Colombia and MEXFAM/Mexico -- and Save the Children/Bolivia. In April 2001 these groups will meet to determine needed revisions. This paper will give examples of the exercises and the results of the field testing. The finalized manuals are expected to be available in Spanish and Portuguese at the APHA meeting. They will later be translated into English and an evaluation of their use will be done. With the growing interest in understanding the gender roles and methods for encouraging equitable relationships among young people, these manuals will be relevant to programs working with adolescents in Latin America and throughout the world.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify innovative tools developed for the improvement and enhancement of health promotion for adolescent boys in Latin America.
2. Recognize the value of the four workbooks that focus in specific areas of young men's development and that will be used as training tools by organizations working in this field, and understand the steps and methodology used in designing them.
3. Identify the type of information in the four topics that these workbooks will offer to policy makers and program staff in Latin America, and understand some of the results obtained from their use in five countries.

Keywords: Male Reproductive Health, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: IPPF/WHR- New York, Instituto Promundo- Brazil, Ecos- Brazil, Salud y Genero- Mexico, PAPAI, Brazil
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: IPPF employee and Gates Foundation grantee

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA