Download PUBERTY - Healthy DEvelopments

AUNTIES PROJECT
A GUIDE FOR THE PREVENTION OF EARLY
PREGNANCIES, STIs AND HIV/AIDS AMONG
ADOLESCENTS BY TEENAGE MOTHERS
Summary of the workshop
2008
INTRODUCTION
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Presentation of participants
Expectations of participants
Objectives of the workshop
THE AUNTIES PROJECT
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Prevalence of teenager pregnancies in Cameroon
Testimonies by two mothers on how early and unwanted pregnancies of their
daughters after them, the family and the community
Testimonies of an Aunty from a different town or village
Why the Project and basic data on early and unwanted pregnancies in Cameroun (data
from the profile of Aunties)
PUBERTY
It is the time of life when a child experiences physical and hormonal changes that mark a
transition into adulthood. The age at which puberty starts in not fixed. For girls, it is between
8 and 16 yrs while for boys, it is between 11 and 18 yrs.
CHANGES OBSERVED IN BOYS
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The chest and the shoulders become bigger
Development of beard on the chest and chin
Development of pubic hairs
Penis and the testicles become bigger
The testicles goes down to the scrotum and begins to produce sperm
Unexpected erection
Wet dreams.
CHANGES OBSERVED IN A GIRL CHILD
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Development of breast
The hips increase in size
The genital organs begin to develop and the ovary starts producing ovules
Menstruation begins
CHANGES OBSERED IN BOTH
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Increase in weight and height
Development of muscles
Development of the genital organs
Pimples may appear on their faces
Their sweat produces stronger odour
Attraction to the opposite sex
Awareness and consciousness of sexuality
Fertility
They become moody.
MENSTRUATION
Definition:
It is a natural phenomenon that is characterised by a monthly flow of blood from the uterus
through the vagina. This only occurs when fertilisation has not taken place. It begins at
puberty and ends at menopause.
Fertilisation: It is the meeting of the ovule and the spermatozoa leading to the formation of
an egg.
Ovulation: It is when the ovary liberates an ovule ready for fertilisation.
Manipulation of the menstrual cycle (calendar 2008-2009)
EARLY AND UNWANTED PREGNANCY
Early pregnancy: It is that pregnancy which occurs in a girl of less than 18 years. It is a
pregnancy that can cause many problems in the life of a young girl.
Unwanted pregnancy: It is that pregnancy which occurs when we do not expect. It is
involuntary and could cause health and other problems.
CAUSES OF UNWANTED PERGANCIES
Direct causes
Unprotected sexual intercourse
Indirect causes
 absence of dialogue with parents
 Naivety
 Wrong calculation of the menstrual cycle
 Lack of information on sexual education
 Mismanaged puberty
 Search for luxury
 Prostitution
 Bad friends
 Rape
 Poverty
CONSEQUENCES OF UNWANTED PREGNANCIES
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On the girl
Educationally
 The girl will drop out of school and it will lead to an increase in school drop
out and illiteracy in women.
 She could stop her trade (saloon, tailoring…)
Physically
The immaturity of the genital organs could cause problems like:
 Problems during delivery because the womb is not mature
 Stitches or episiotomy
 Over bleeding
 Fistula
 Eclampsia
 Operation
 Retarded growth
 Beauty fades away
 Secondary sterility
 Crude abortion
 STI,AIV/AIDS
 Death
Socially
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An increase in single parents
An increase in your needs ( more expenditure)
Misery
Lack of respect
A possible end in the relationship
Stigmatisation (rejection, isolation)
Prostitution
Early and forceful marriage
Psychologically
 Depression
 Frustration
 Inferiority complex
 Aggressiveness
 Sadness
 Rejection of the baby
On the child
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Not welcomed into the family
Lack of paternal love
Low birth weight
Ignorant about the biological father
Retarded growth
Poor nutrition leading to malnutrition
Poor education
May be exposed to juvenile delinquency
Bleak future
On the boy (author)
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Risk of going to prison
Early paternity
A slow down in activities (may be sent out of school or job)
May become a thief or a delinquent
Drop out from school
Irresponsibility
Regrets
Forceful marriage
Parent and society
Parent
Society
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Disgrace on the family
Division within the family
Mother is blamed
Loss of a student
Poor development
Increase in school drop out
Gossip
Hatred
Increase illness in the society
Increase in juvenile delinquency (street children)
ABORTION
Definition: it is the spontaneous or provoked expulsion of the embryo or the foetus from the
uterus.
Types of abortion
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voluntary abortion ( hygienic , crude)
Involuntary abortion ( miscarriage )
Immediate consequences
 Death
 Over bleeding
 Infections
 Perforation of the uterus
 Removal of the uterus
 Severe pains which might lead to death
Secondary consequences (prolonged)
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Sterility
Chronic infection
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Cancer
Tetanus
Fistula
Prevention
 Consult a medical personnel
 Abstain from sex
 Practice safer sex
 Do not practice crude abortion
NB: Some Complications due to crude abortion, could have a disastrous impact on the
health of the young girl.
HYGIENE:
For us to have good health, our environment has to be kept clean. And so:
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We have to clean up our surroundings, houses, kitchen utensils, dresses, those of
our children and younger ones. We have to make sure that, our body, those of our
baby and younger ones are also kept clean.
Let’s not keep standing water around our houses. We could drop kerosene in it so
as to avoid mosquitoes and other insects.
Let’s make sure we always clean our toilets
Let’s always sleep in a mosquito net to avoid malaria
Let’s drink potable water to avoid diseases. ( cholera)
NUTRITION
It is not the quantity of food that matter but the quality.
Always try to take a mixed and balanced diet.
We need protein, carbohydrate, fats and oil, vitamin, mineral salt, iron water in order to be
healthy and strong
SEXUALLY TRANNMITTED DISEASES
Seropositive: Person living with HIV
Opportunistic infections: Infections that take advantage of the weakness of the immune
system
AIDS Patient: An AIDS patient is an HIV patient who is suffering from opportunistic
infections.
Manifestations of STIs
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Painful urine
Abdominal pains
Vagina discharges
Itches
Wounds on the genital organs
Pimples on the genital organ
Frequent bleeding
Painful sexual intercourse
Loss of hair
How are STIs transmitted?
Through sex
 75 to 80% through unprotected sexual intercourse
Through blood
 Blood transfusion
 Sharp objects soiled with blood
 Scarification and blood pact.
From mother to child
 During pregnancy
 During delivery
 During breast feeding
HOW TO AVOID EARLY PREGNANCIES, STI, HIV/AIDS
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Abstinence
Always seek for advice
Avoid early sexual intercourse
Correct and Systematic use of condom
Contraceptive methods
Family dialogue
Advantages of Abstinence
 Good health
 Not costly
 Prevents early pregnancy
 Prevents STI,HIV/AIDS
 No site effect
 Prevents abortion
What to do in case of an STI
 Go to the hospital
 Do not do auto medication
 Buy drugs from the pharmacy
 Always use condoms during sexual intercourse
 Respect the prescribed dose of your treatment
 Respect rendezvous ( doctor)
 Inform your partner or partners.
Testimony of a young woman living with HIV
 How she discover her status
 What happened to her/ partner or family
 Where does she seek treatment and what treatment now
 Why is it important to do HIV test for young people?
 Questions and answers
 NB: After this testimony, the person living with HIV will be in the workshop for
one week, also to guide participants who may have a positive HIV screening test
 NB: HIV screening test is offered to all participants.
What are the qualities of a good Aunty?
 Organised, motivated, dynamic, committed, patient, tolerant, available, honest.
 Should be able to put herself in the place of others in order to give good advice.
 Should be polite and soft spoken in order to build confidence.
 Should be gentle, understanding, and sociable in order to sensitise.
 Should have the ability to listen and dialogue.
 Should be a model.
 Should be lively, available, and exceptional.
COMMUNICATION
Definition
Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to
another. It involves a sender transmitting an idea to a receiver. Effective communication
occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended
to transmit.
Types of Communication
 Inter-personal communication (counselling)
 Group communication (educative talks)
 Mass communication (media, journal, leaflets)
Means of Communication
 Letter writing
 Telephone
 Verbal news
 Internet
Factors favouring Communication
 Adapted language
 Mastery of the subject matter
 Organisation
Factors hindering Communication
 Unadapted language
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Poor mastery of the subject
Faulty information
Poor organisation
Noise
Inappropriate site
Lack of time consciousness
Wrong target
Usefulness of Communication
 To communicate is to inform, to express something, it is to persuade.
 To communicate is to help others change behaviour
 It is to help others adopt a less risky behaviour
Behaviour to adopt during sensitisation or educative talks
 Greet politely
 Present yourself (name and where you come from)
 Reasons for your visit
 Ask for permission to go ahead
 If the person is not busy, negotiate another rendezvous
 If the person refuses a rendezvous, thank her for wasting her time and say you are
sorry.
 If the person accepts the rendezvous, make sure you respect it. Make sure the message
goes through.
 Give available documents on the subject (flyers, calendars)
Role of an Aunty
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Educate, care and support adolescents
To orientate sexually active youths, through the adoption of less risky sexual
behaviour.
Behaviour to promote
 Abstinence
 Correct and systematic use of condoms
 To be well informed so as to better inform.
NB: When possible, film projection on rape and incest, unwanted pregnancies or HIV/Aids
every evening during the training in different quarters in the locality.