Teen Health

NEED AND CONTEXT

It has been observed that the recent economic growth in the Asian cities indicate that there has been a breakdown of traditional support systems such as the family because of rapid urbanization and modernization. Moreover, a large number of people are living below the poverty line in impoverished environment in urban and rural communities. Their acute needs for housing, food, health, education, and incomes are the very forces that push adolescents to look for a means of livelihood on the streets, engage in prostitution, be hooked up with crime/drug syndicates, or become victims of sexual and physical abuse. It is a battle of bare struggle for daily survival and contributes in every ways they can. Any measure to penalize parents of such children will only result in further abuse and oppression of people who are already disadvantaged. Such children struggle hard in getting the most essential requirements to meet the basic needs of life and such children need special attention and educational intervention. These disadvantaged adolescents are generally malnourished and often anemic; many of them physically stunted, suffer psychologically from undue family pressures and abuses and are neglected at home. They tend to develop low self-esteem from broken families, single-headed households because of the death, separation, or labor migration of one of their parents. Moreover, they live in slums and squatter communities, sub-human conditions and are susceptible to crime syndicates and gang conflicts, substance/drug abuse, and gambling.

In the developing and under developed countries like India and Thailand a large percentage of population live below the poverty line and adolescents from such environment face difficulties in getting access to good education. It is therefore felt that in both the surround adolescents are of in the process of development and failure to meet their developmental need have lend to safe and serial destructions behaviors. Adolescents lack necessary life skills for cape up in to the realities and challenges of life. Adolescents accords for the largest portion of the worldâ??s population and have been on an increasing trend and there are â??230 million Indian adolescent in the age of group of 4 to 19â? that (Population and Health IndoShare, 2006). Moreover, it is expected that this age group will continue to grow reaching over â??214 million by 2020â? (United Nations (UN) 2000) due to has traditionally been a male dominated society and has a strong son preference in most part of but Indian girls tend to be discriminated against by their families and also demographic trends indicate deep-rooted gender discrimination. In India, the condition of disadvantaged adolescents resembled that of their centers pail Thailand. Indian Young adolescents are facings serious problem of lack of access to reliable knowledge on the process of growing up reproductive health practices and value system. There has been a need to provide education on the developmental changes and needs during teenagers. This may reduce the risk of future.

Today, almost every Indian and Thai whether rich or poor, young or old, is exposed to much that is foreign, largely because in the last two decades India and Thailand has become one of the regionâ??s most popular tourists destinations. At times, the growing economy and favorable investment opportunities have also attracted many foreign multinationals, which continue to add to the already fair large expatriate community. However, despite the intensity of their exposure to â??foreignâ? influences, particularly western cultures and lifestyles, Indian and Thai culture remains a solid influence within family life and early childhood. From birth, Indian and Thai adolescents are still much more deeply immersed in culture than they are exposed to foreign influences despite the fast-paced changes that have been affecting Indian and Thai adolescents. The adolescents of deferred families are emotionally disturbed and driven adrift as wanderers, delinquent children with im-permissive behaviors such as loitering, gambling, drug addiction, crime, truancy, prostitution, and begging, illegal dealings. As the consequence of these adverse behaviors, cases of illegal pregnancy, baby abandonment, and HIV/AIDS infection are becoming more and more severe.

There also reported, â??Thai Children are spending more time in talking and chatting on the phone and the trendiest models of mobile phones, love hanging out with their friends at night, the drugs problem and the loss of Thai identity and shopping for brand name products. The latest fashion among the hobbies of many of todayâ??s Thai children is they are becoming increasingly violent and blaming society and their own families for their behavior and involve in premature sex, drugs and aggressivenessâ?. â??The study found that despite the well-to-do family backgrounds of the teens surveyed, most of them shared a common problem of loneliness, depressive tendencies and a need for loveâ?. The gap between parents and children is greater than ever before, arising from broken families or from families which faille to inculcate morals in their children because they havenless time for their children and had left them to the peril of sick and violent society in Thailand (Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, Thongbai Thongpao 2002), (Tong Thum Struggles, 2006)

With the best intention and efforts of the education as a social instrument, it is possible to promote the complete welfare of disadvantaged population. Among the several types of disadvantaged adolescents, Adolescents forced to enter the labour market, adolescents affected by HIV/AIDS and adolescents affected by narcotic drugs need special attention. They have trouble in getting proper guidance to overcome personal problems and require proper guidance and counseling to become aware of the ill effects narcotic drugs, labour market and HIV/AIDS. It may not be possible to develop awareness in the expected manner through normal school curriculums. Hence, a separate educational intervention, which is nothing but a planned programme of educational guidance, organized to meet the scientific and psychological needs of disadvantaged adolescents in the age group of 13-16. Hence, in this study, an attempt will be made to study the educational adjustment of disadvantaged adolescents and to find out the impact of a structured educational intervention programme in developing proper awareness and attitude towards reproductive health, drugs, sexuality and values.

The present study examined the impact of an educational intervention programme on the knowledge and attitude on disadvantaged adolescents in Northern India and Thailand. The study intends to assess and compare the knowledge about the process of growing up, HIV/AIDS awareness, values and attitude of teen-age students staying in the schools. Reproductive health education is a key strategy for promoting preventive measures among teenagers.

METHOS

The sample for the study consisted of 225 disadvantaged adolescents who included 125 adolescents from India (Chennai Himmat Slum area, Jammu region) and Thailand (Yong People Develop Chiang Mai and Teresa Anusorn Foundation (Ban Teresa) Chiang Rai, Province). The sample populations of disadvantaged adolescents are residents of orphanages and slum area and studying in high school classes in the age of groups from 13 to 16 years. Data was collected by administering knowledge test consisted of items on process of growing up HIV/AIDS, reproductive organs and their functions family planning and parenting and attitude scale to measure beliefs and practices about sexuality and abstinence. An experimental design consisted of experimental and control group was formed. Questionnaires were translated from English to Hindi and Thai, (mother tongue of the respondent), then back in to English to ensure that no meaning was lost in translation. There were use two groups of learner: both the groups were given Pre-Test as well as Post-Test, where experimental group were given intervention programme and control group was not be given any intervention programme.

Control group: – there were in two states: ten administrators conducted face-to-face interviews and Focus groups with disadvantaged adolescent in India and Thailand.

First state, in India country; 10 Indian administrators were called the Indian disadvantaged adolescents from there house at Slum area (Jammu), meeting for data collected were an adjustment questionnaire in each of person and groups by Hindi (mother tongue of the respondent).

Second state, in Thailand country: 125 questionnaires in Thai (mother tongue of the respondent) were administered to the Thai disadvantaged adolescent of two orphanages, I collected later the questionnaires.

Intervention / Treatment Programme

Experts: Facilitators who were willing to participate in the study were invited for receiving community sensitization, booklet distribution, and CD training;

Experimental group: 200 students (and also inmates) belonging to Channai Himmat, Slum area (Jammu, India), Teresa Anusorn Foundation (Ban Teresa), and Yong People Develop (Thailand) who had got least scores namely, were given one day training programme on intervention or treatment as;

In the morning: the orientation and participants programme concentrated on basic issues such as general framework of adolescent growth, and consisted of discussions and demonstrations. The training programme practiced the activities to develop the knowledge level and the attitude about HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health education

In the afternoon until evening: the revised questionnaires were administered to the experimental group in 3 sessions as: (a) the personal details. (b) The knowledge level and attitude were administered to find out themselves and whenever they had doubt in understanding the items, the administrators made them easy by giving supplementary examples. In addition, (c) group discussed for preparation of suggestive measures to improve and policies.

Design of the study

An educational intervention programme consisting of awareness activities presented through media presentation, discussion and interaction was presented to the experimental group. Universals and multivariate analysis of the data were used to assess the impact of interventions and to identify the predictors of change in knowledge and attitude. Significant changes in terms of gain between pre-test and post-test was observed.

Analysis

The completed questionnaires were collated and entered into the computer. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS. After verification and reduction of data, descriptive frequencies were completed. This was followed by uni-variate and multi-variety procedures to assess the impact of the interventions and to identify other predictors of change in knowledge and attitude. Analysis was stratified by sex shown how responses to the variables of knowledge and attitude, differ boys, girls, age, and education. Descriptive statistics was used to profile the study population. Knowledge and attitude was then used to explore the demographic variables associated with HIV/AIDS, drug abused and reproductive Health Education. The following statistical techniques were applied in the present project: Paired Samples â??Tâ?-test and â??Fâ?-test.

FINDINGS

The demographic profile of the 250 Indian and Thai respondent questionnaires is shown the relationships between demographic characteristics of Indian and Thai were founds Indian boys (54.40%) less than Thai boys (56%), and Indian girls (45.60%) more than Thai girls (44%). In the same age group of Indian and Thai 15 years old, and the same of the secondary school of Indian: (Standard: 9) and Thai: (Grades 3), had significant .05 is shown in Table 1.

Answers were grouped in comparing scores from Indian and Thai disadvantage adolescent after received a treatment on knowledge and attitude about HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health education, all participating (N= 200) were group interviewed and after the intervention had significant difference is (0.05), are shown in Table 2-16.

The findings also revealed significant differences between boys and girls in knowledge and attitude towards reproductive health education. Implications of the study for the awareness programmes were suggested.

DISCUSSION

In many Northern states of India and Thailand, the HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health needs of Indian and Thai disadvantaged adolescents are either poorly understood or not fully appreciated. Evidence is growing that this neglect can seriously jeopardize the HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health education needs and future well-being of them.

The policies addressed the effectiveness of the programmed to highlights what there needs to be done to promote and protect to the disadvantaged adolescent in India and Thailand in the future as: all schools should develop textbooks making learning interesting by following extensive community sensitization in support of adolescent reproductive health education appropriate in Indian and Thai cultural and tradition. Because of Indian and Thai culture and tradition, adolescents kept learning by them long time ago that, made them grow up in the wrong life and have been against morality.

Indian and Thai adolescent problems erupt from families and by themselves after they have been sexually abused or because their families could not understand adolescent behavior and teach them about reproductive health education and sexual health education. Such as should improve in knowledge and attitude among school-going adolescents with the media modern of families. In addition, it was found that sexually abused violated in Indian and Thai adolescents should learn and practice self-protection and should gather knowledge of the Child Rights and much more.

India disadvantaged adolescents

1. Indian disadvantaged adolescents are neglected from home, school and there country of the knowledge. They tend to undeveloped of the confidents and very poorly of the knowledge, attitude about Reproductive Health, drug and HIV/AIDS. Thus as, should to improve and increase and learn the knowledge attitude and understanding of disadvantaged adolescents

2. In India, the responsible organizations both governmental and non-governmental of India have to develop policies for adolescent and should to include HIV/AIDS education and health programme in schools curriculums. In addition, those reproductive health educational services for adolescent girls are especially needed in schools and families.

3. Parents, families, teachers and administrators in orphanages or schools should be encouraged to discuss or give guidance and approval about reproductive health education, drug and HIV/AIDS with their disadvantaged adolescent.

Thailand disadvantaged adolescents

1. Should to improve and increase the knowledge attitude and understanding of disadvantaged adolescents in Northern about reproductive health education and sexual health education.

2. Especially, in Northern, Thailand having spread of higher Drug and HIV/AIDS, thus as should to teach or train to get about the knowledge attitude and understanding of reproductive health to adolescents and parents more then other.

3. The reproductive and sexual health education should be included in the curriculum for the second level â?? primary education (Grades 4-6), Third level â?? secondary education (Grades 1-3) and Fourth level â?? secondary education (Grades 4-6). It is too late to start from Third level â?? secondary education (Grades 1-3) in Thailand thus; the Ministry of Education has to prepare a new policy to put this subject at the Basic Education Curriculum Standard as soon as possible.

4. It appears that in Thailand media has caused a change in sex related values among adolescents. With the misuse of Internet in getting information on sex related issue supplemented by the use of Cell phone, TV, VCD, DVD and booklets is increasing Crime problems of sexually abused. Thus, the qualities of the textbooks or booklets to be distributed to the adolescents.

TABLE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank to Dr. Y. N. Sridhar, Guide of Research for me. I would like too many helpful and thank the following students, Mr. Kasame Sakonllapap, Mr. Santi Jongkongka, Mr. Prasarn Ruansang and people for their supported. I thankfulness to Father Carlo Luzzi, Mother Elisa Cavana, Father Niphot Thiengwiharn and my family, for contributing to this study by providing funding.

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So when adolescents develop behavioral problems, mood disorders or social issues that interrupt their education, parents are doubly distressed. For troubled teens, almost by definition, have trouble in school.

Dealing with a troubled teen is an enormous challenge for both parents and teachers. Public schools, hard pressed to meet the academic needs of normal students, are often not equipped to meet the emotional demands of the problem student. Many parents consider boarding school or military academy just to get their child back into a classroom, but even in those closed and structured environments many troubled teens will continue to struggle.

What’s a parent to do? Many start by seeking advice from other parents who have dealt or are dealing with a troubled teen. Hearing about a program first-hand from someone who’s been in your shoes can save you valuable time, money and frustration when it comes to helping your own child.

Other parents outreach to independent educational consultants who handle special needs clients. These professionals, many of whom are former educators and guidance counselors, can identify and help you select a suitable school or program for your teen. Depending on the teen’s specific problems, recommendations might include emotional growth schools, therapeutic boarding schools, home-based residential programs, therapeutic wilderness programs, or residential treatment centers.

If the choices seem bewildering, it’s because there are many valid approaches today for treating troubled teens. Currently several hundred programs exist, serving 10,000 to 20,000 students annually. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David L. Marcus looked at one such program in his recent book, What It Takes to Pull Me Through: Why Teenagers Get in Trouble and How Four of Them Got Out. His study of the complex world of troubled teenagers was conducted at the Academy at Swift River, an emotional growth school in western Massachusetts. The success of his book is indicative of the growing interest in and demand for programs to serve a growing segment of America’s twenty-nine million adolescents.

Nor has the phenomenon been lost on the media. ABC’s reality series Brat Camp shows the choices faced by nine families dealing with out-of-control teenagers with problems like ADHD, drug addiction, promiscuity and fighting. Each chooses to send their teen to SageWalk, a wilderness school in rural Oregon, hoping that after the 50-day program is over they’ll get back the children they once knew.

With attention like this, industry critics have emerged as well. Some charge program operators of profiteering by promising miracles to desperate parents, but many more cite the overall lack of federal regulations and the patchwork of state regulations that govern the behavioral health care industry. Right now, therapeutic and emotional growth schools are regulated like ordinary boarding schools. Except for residential treatment centers, there are no regulations requiring specific educational or professional credentials for program operators. There is also no uniform set of national, government-endorsed standards by which parents can judge a program’s effectiveness.

Fortunately, high and rigorously enforced standards are in place for these schools and programsâ??standards imposed by the industry itself.

NATSAP

In 1999, concerned about the industry’s lack of uniform ethical and practice guidelines to protect at-risk teens and families in crises, The Family Foundation School joined six other programs and a small group of individuals to form the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP). Today, with more than 170 members, NATSAP serves as an advocate and resource for innovative organizations that devote themselves to the effective care and education of struggling young people and their families. Envisioning “a nation of healthy children,” NATSAP has become the voice that inspires, nurtures and validates its member schools and programs.

Parents and others concerned about the efficacy and integrity of therapeutic programs in an otherwise unregulated industry can turn to NATSAP for guidance. The association serves as an unofficial watchdog, calling attention to substandard and predatory programs that can injure participants emotionally, psychologically, physically and financially. While the vast majority of therapeutic schools and programs provide treatment rooted in sound clinical practice and concern for the growth and well-being of the young people they serve, there are operations that lack respect and sensitivity to individual needs, that rely solely on internal feedback and consequently fail to learn, improve or grow.

NATSAP has established benchmarks first and foremost for treatment and behavioral practices that reduce risk, promote safety, and demand continuous program improvements. The organization provides members with the latest research on treating troubled teens and tested methods for helping families in crises. It has also established admissions guidelines that protect parents from false advertising and misleading claims of services. Most important, it has established and enforces ethics and practice standards for its members, and adds to these standards regularly.

We want to make it clear that NATSAP is not an accrediting or licensing body, but an independent, voluntary organization. It does not provide placement services. However, it is an indispensable resource and a good first stop for parents pursuing a placement for their child in any program. By choosing a NATSAP member, you can be sure you’re dealing with an organization that is serious about how you are served, who values ethical integrity, who recognizes how vulnerable a family is when making the difficult decision to place a child outside the home, and whose primary goal is the education, growth and well-being of your troubled teen.

The Right Match

Each adolescent at risk has specific needs that must be determined in detail before he or she can be successfully placed in a therapeutic school or program. As a parent, you can make sure the ultimate match is the correct one by arranging for whatever academic and psychological tests may be necessary, and by using multiple informational sources before making your final decision. The industry offers a wide and growing array of program types, lengths of stay, and services to meet the needs of a variety of troubled young peopleâ??which is a good reason to review your choices with the help of an educational consultant. As we mentioned above, these independent professionals know the industry inside out and will work with you and your child to find the best possible placement. (To locate a consultant near you, visit Independent Educational Consultants Association website). Whether you decide to work with a consultant, with referrals from other parents, or to strike out on your own, you owe it to yourself and your child to find out as much as possible about this segment of the educational field, and the journey on which you’re about to embark.

The good news is that all the information you could possibly wantâ??and then someâ??is as close as your computer. Since an Internet search of “trouble teens” will yield millions of hits, you should probably begin by checking out the websites of schools or programs you’ve heard of, or have been referred to (they all have websites). Or start with NATSAP, or another online directory of schools and programs for troubled teens. One we recommend is http://strugglingteens.com. Developed by the highly respected industry newsletter Woodbury Reports, this website provides a wealth of news, information, and research findings pertaining to teens at risk. Here you can find valuable insights into the industry and of particular help is the coverage of new schools and programs, and of what works in this industry and what doesn’t.

Other organization websites worth visiting are the American Psychological Association,National Association of Social Workers, National Board for Certified Counselors, and American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

It’s been said that the primary job of youth is to get an education. When troubled teens fall down on the job, it is up to us as parents, counselors and educators to make sure they’re given a hand up and a way back to the classroom. For this we need a strong network of therapeutic schools and programs.

Many a parent questions their teens behavior at one point in time or another. But every parent’s worst is always that they will one day find that their child has become addicted to some sort of illicit drug. Watching anxiously for any sign of erratic behavior, has caused many parents’ hair to turn grey virtually overnight. This isn’t necessary if you know how to recognize the effects of drug addiction in your teen, and are able to stop their destructive behavior before it gets the best of them. Recognizing the effects of drug addiction in your teen isn’t difficult as long as you understand what to look for. Below you will find some of the early warning signs that your teen may be battling a drug addiction, along with useful tips on how to get him or her the help they need.

Although withdrawing from family is a normal part of adolescence, an extreme and sudden withdrawal from both family and friends can be one of the effects of drug addiction in your teen. If you have noticed that your teen has become even more sullen and withdrawn than usual, you may want to talk to them (or at least try to) about what they are experiencing. A lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities can also be one of the effects of drug addiction in teens. If your teen was once active in his or her school, church, or community, and suddenly shows little or no interest in these activities, it may be a sign that he or she is battling the effects of drug addiction.

A sudden and extreme weight loss is also one of the effects of drug addiction in teens. Even though this may have roots stemming from an eating disorder, rapid weight loss is usually indicative of drug use; and you should get your teen into the doctor as quickly as possible. Even if your teen’s sudden weight loss is not due to the effects of drug addiction, it may have a serious underlying cause, and should be treated immediately.

Again, although every teen will typically experience a decline in their grades during their high school years, a sharp drop on your teen’s report card can be one of the effects of drug addiction. As can a sudden lack of interest in their part time jobs, or even just getting out of bed in the morning. If you think that your teen is experiencing any of the effects of drug addiction, it is imperative that you get him or her help as early as possible. All too often parents put off trying to help their teens until it is too late, purely out of the fear of being rejected. Just remember that you are the parent, and if counseling or admission into a drug rehabilitation center is what your child needs, then it is up to you to make certain that he or she gets it. Although the effects of drug addiction can be quite frightening when they present themselves in your child, catching them early and taking action now can save your teen from a life of addiction.

Every real bodybuilder at one time in his career will be there in the time in his life when he asks himself how about to use steroids or not. Sometime he replies this question to himself, and if the reply is positive, will be appear the other question: Where I can get them, where I can buy steroids?

Actually there was not much choice, you would go to the largest men in the gymnasium and, after some small talk, ask him if he can give you steroids and wish for the kindest. Today it’s rather dissimilar. because the authorities is getting more intolerant and the punishments are high man will not sell steroid hormone to complete strangers because of dread of law. For the identical causes people, prospective buyers do not challenge asking about steroids that much either. Thank God there an alternative with buy steroids online.

At beginning, Internet was not handled with a lot prize by bodybuilders such steroids online, it was in reality looks like ignored. Let’s face it, most bodybuilder were not very interested in a geeky virtual electronic network used primarily by a weird persons. Bodybuilders just were not geeks. Step by step things transformed, though, as people appreciated that by using Internet, they can with easy communicate with so many people from everyplace in the world. Bodybuilders also recognized that they can gain more more people across the Internet than they could ever gain in the gymnasium, and whole these people told their minds, mistakes, experience, greatest cycles. And they could do that from the confinement of their houses, and with perfect namelessness.

In reality, as more people began share out their minds, people, too, recognized they could ask other people where to buy steroids. And they were told; finally, on that point would be beginnings tendering their products to other people.

How great is the number for those who indulge in teen sex, regardless of numeral configuration, even if that number be one, then it is a problem and more so if both parties are unaware of what can rise from having unprotected sex. The outcome can be that of falling pregnant or catching a sexually transmitted disease (STD.) Okay, getting together with the opposite sex will eventually happen at some time or other (if gay same agenda) so why not make that some time “the right time.” When is the right time, this will depend on what your beliefs are as to whether 15 16 17 years is ideal for a sexual relationship. Remember it is a crime to have underage sex. If you are adamant to go ahead with coupling then at least do your homework first. You need to consider all possibilities which contribute to an unwanted pregnancy occurring or worse still catching a disease that can do more damage that you can imagine

Sex statistics should never really be taken seriously because of imperfect measurements. Getting people to talk about their sex lives honestly is a difficult mission, especially if it includes a group that is in any way marginalized, as teens are. However study goes on, to help describe and understand sexual behaviours among teens. Here are some facts on statistics and sexual behaviours of interest?

In America nearly half of all 15-19-year-olds have had sexual intercourse at least once. By the age 15, only 13% of teens have ever had sex, you are breaking the law at this age. By the time 19, seven in 10 teens have had sex. The norm we find for having sex for the first time is that of 17. Teens are wising up to the dangers than that of in the past where teen sex was greater in number. Thankfully teens are taking heed of the alerts telling of the dangers from having unprotected sex. Thirteen percent of females and 15% of males aged 15-19 in 2002 had had sex before age 15, compared with 19% and 21%, respectively, in 1995.

In England and Wales, the law on Sexual Offences were changed. However the legal age for young people to consent to have sex still remains at 16, whether you are straight, gay or bisexual. Although the age of consent remains at 16, the law will make no intervention unless it involves abuse or exploitation. Under the Sexual Offences Act you still have the right to confidential advice on contraception, condoms, pregnancy and abortion, even if you are under the legal age. In the US different states may have different age laws for legal sex.

Unfortunately we still have the minute few who believe they know it all until the inevitable happens. Many teens are prepared to take sexual risks despite more than ten years of public warnings. Teen sex should never be an event of chance in hope God will make things right should they go wrong. Nip it in the bud so no prayers have to be said in regards to falling pregnant or catching an STD. The outcome of intensive research showed new infections of the Aids virus in 1999 were the highest in over 10 years.

In reply from some teens who were asked why so early for sex, was, “it is trendy and everyone one else is doing it” so why not me. Another point of interest was, it was a way of showing off where teens would boast “Hey everyone I have done it.” Well this may be the in thing to do but did you ever give any thought to showing off a bump on the belly or a prison ID number when having your mug shot photo taken.

Many teens openly admit to that of feeling pressurized to lose their virginity. The most prominent fear from having unprotected sex was highlighted as to an unwanted pregnancy (88%) and 87% said an STD. To keep safe you have to think condom. Using a condom is one of the safest forms of birth control used and a powerful deterrent against catching a sexually transmitted disease.

We have the male and female condom. The male condom is made of thin latex (rubber) or polyurethane and fits over an erect penis. Condoms are lubricated to make them easier to use.

A condom acts as a barrier between the penis and the vagina, the penis and the mouth, or the penis and the anus. This does not mean sexual intercourse can not take place. A condom will cover the entire penis to prevent sperm entering the vagina.

For women the female condom is made from soft polyurethane and is located inside the vagina. It is held in place by a ring at either end; it lines the vagina and stops sperm getting into it. Using condoms bring no side affects unlike some other forms of contraception.

The female condom if properly inserted is 95% effective. Condoms have been known to split. Problems which occur from using the female condom is – if it slips or moves out of place from not being properly inserted. You can find out more at any family planning clinic where contraception and advice is given freely

Below some useful resource centres should you need help and advice?

1 Get Connected – One-stop helpline for young people. This organization evolves round youngsters who feel they want to run away from home or have already done so. Services include compassionate support, help and guidance.

Helpline: 0808 808 4994 open 1pm-11pm seven days a week

2 Childlike – an organization which provides a free, confidential telephone counselling service for children or young people regardless of what the nature of the problem is.

National helpline: 0800 1111. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

3 Avert services are more connected to health

International aids & medical research charity.

Telephone: 01403 210202

Never be frightened or to embarrassed to seek help. Prevention is better than any cure. Pick up the phone for a brighter future.

4 bpas (British Pregnancy Advisory Service)

Telephone: 0845 730 4030

Organization of many options i.e. dealing with unplanned pregnancy, emergency contraception, free pregnancy testing and vasectomy services.

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