…. looking to expand services to hinterland areas to tackle underage pregnancyThe Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) officially launched its Choices Project late last week with the aim of promoting access to reproductive health facilities to Guyanese youths. The project is set to approach this area of health service through comprehensive sexual education in a gender sensitive manner.“Choices” was officially launched at the agency’s spoken word art event, called ‘Sex Tempo’,Cheap Bayern Munich Jersey, at Castellani House. Participants of all ages were welcomed to join in sharing various forms of spoken art (poetry, prose,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, song etc.) which highlighted issues of sex and sexuality.It was premised at the event that the project is specifically targeted to youths while equipping them with the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes. This will further enable young adults to access services and to know their reproductive rights.Reproductive rights are categorized as the recognition of basic rights which couples and individuals have while accessing the highest standards of sexual and reproductive health facilities. These rights include for an individual to be free of discrimination, coercion and violence as expressed in human rights documents.In an interview with GRPA’s Programme Director,Cheap NHL Jerseys, Renuka Anandjit, the project is prepared to move forward with clear objectives which deal with sexual and reproductive health education among youths.One of these objectives, Anandjit said,Wholesale Jerseys Online, would be the development of accessible comprehensive packages for young adults. Such development would see the agency creating a more inviting environment in their clinics so that services would be accessed at all times. She further explained that this would include support systems for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth along with at risk populations.“Along with providing comprehensive medical sexual and reproductive health services we (GRPA) through the Choices Project will provide psychosexual support with some focus on LGBT youth and other key populations,” explained the Programme Director.While the initiative is directed at the youth population, Anandjit affirmed that Choices will engage parents and other organizations as it is important to the agency that the older populace be part of the conversation on sexual and reproductive issues.According to Anandjit, the Choices Project is a volunteer initiative which will be open to youths, teachers, social workers and other members of civil society in order to advance the education and facilities of the reproductive rights in Guyana.“People are slowly realizing that it is necessary to inform young people on sexual and reproductive health issues,” said Anandjit “young people have even said that they more inclined to abstain from or practice safe sex.”Meanwhile, as the Choices Project aims to make strides in people’s approach to reproductive rights,Abdou Diallo Jersey, GRPA is also looking into the issue of underage pregnancy in the Hinterland regions of the country.Guyana has the second highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the Caribbean and South America, with 97 out of every 1000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 affected. Last year, 58 cases of teenage pregnancies were reported to the Child Care and Protection Agency with most of them coming from the hinterland region.The most recently publicized case was when a 14 year-old girl from the Region Nine village of Aishalton, delivered her baby in mid-air while being transferred to the Lethem Hospital.Anandjit related that the agency is working on building relationships with partners in the region so that GRPA is able to access affected persons.“Right now the biggest barrier for us in reaching those areas is accessing human and financial resources,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping,” explained the GRPA official, “we are working in areas of research mobilization to fund going in there (the hinterland regions) and implement our services and distribute information.”She conceded that the agency understands the need for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education in the region. Anandjit cited the “horrific stories” of girls from as young as nine years-old delivering babies, saying that it’s an issue GRPA has been paying attention to.The GRPA official further stated that the agency is working on getting into those communities and disseminating the appropriate resources to them in order to decrease instances of underage pregnancy.