Family Health Education: teaching about reproductive health and HIV/AIDS from a Christian perspective

Learning & Teaching Materials
Arlington
Family Health International
2003
144 p.
Authors

This document is a manual designed to address the needs of faith-based organizations to reach youth with effective reproductive health and HIV & AIDS training materials published in 2006 by the FHI. This manual has two purposes: to educate youth about reproductive health and HIV & AIDS issues and to provide adult facilitator with an evidence-based training resource that helps them to communicate more effectively with youth about these issues, within the context of shared faith. The manual is intended to encourage open discussion about sexuality, reproductive health, and HIV & AIDS within a faith-based environment. It provides a forum for youth to clarify Christian values about reproductive health and HIV & AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, while providing accurate technical information on these topics. The manual is intended for use by any church or organization wanting to build the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of young people related to reproductive health and HIV & AIDS. Appropriate participants for the training program are youth ages 10 to 16. Potential adult facilitators include pastors, priests, deacons, nuns, religious teachers, youth leaders, choir leaders, and parents. The manual contains 12 sessions. Each session is devoted to a particular topic: 1) Getting started; 2) Who am I; 3) What are my values?; 4) Building Healthy Relationships; 5) My changing body; 6) Sex and sexuality; 7) Communicating and making decisions; 8) Saying No to sex; 9) Pregnancy prevention; 10) Sexually transmitted infections and HIV & AIDS; 11) Defending myself from danger; 12) Bringing it all together. Each session contains: purpose of the section; session time; objectives; materials; before you begin; steps; notes. In introduction, FHI precises that the manual is not designed to promote religion. Christian-based organizations are encouraged to sponsor the use of this manual as a way to help meet the needs of young people in their communities. Implementation of this curriculum has the potential to help youth maintain or positively change their reproductive health and HIV prevention behaviors, seek more services, develop positive attitudes, and improve self-esteem. The manual may also help to stimulate dialogue in the communities in which it is used. In the introduction, it is said that that the manual is not designed to promote religion. The manual includes many Bibles passages as a way to frame discussions in a language that is comfortable to Christians. The authors precise that Bible passages are optional and may help youth and adult facilitators reflect on challenging issues. At the end of the document, you can find a list of references.

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