Sexual and Reproductive Health with Teens: Alajuelita, San Jose, Costa Rica

WHO: Justine Marcus

PROJECT: The program, known formally as “Jóvenes Adolescentes Incidiendo Políticamente a Favor de la Salud Sexual y Reproductiva en Alajuelita” was created by DNI psychologist and educator Doctor Ingrid Porras Jiménez to reach a group of 25 teens (ages 13-18) in the barrio of Alajuelita where there is currently no access to sexual health education. The goals of the project were to educate the teens on sexual and reproductive health, inform the teens of their rights, empower the teens to share the information, and present an analysis of the current void of information in Alajuelita to community leaders.

While the student leader was able to share knowledge on sexual health and human rights, the larger learning goals of knowledge and empowerment were achieved via sharing on both sides. Exchange of experiences, cultures, and communities facilitated personal growth and critical reflection for all persons involved. The student leader was able to implement and explore various models of community change, and, by keeping the methods community driven, the community was able to work towards the problems they identified as important while utilizing the additional resources of the program and the student leader.

The program was educational. The teens participated in workshops focusing on aspects of sexual and reproductive health. The workshops utilized different learning and teaching styles, focusing on participatory activities and games.

The second stage of the program utilized a promoter’s model and worked with the teens to share their new information with their peers. The students became the teachers.

Lastly, the teens conducted a community analysis to identify problems related to sexual health, potential solutions, resources needed, and who in their community had the power to make those changes. This analysis was consolidated into a summary document and presented to community leaders by the teens. The project was planned and implemented through constant collaboration and sharing of previous experience with different activities and models by DNI staff and the student leader.

“In the community where I live, the information with respect to this topic is null, and, at the same time, it seems taboo…the lack of information is harmful…we need a change.” –F.L.P, Teen