Monteiro S, Cecchetto F, Rebello SM; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).
Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. C12204.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Issues: A literature review about social policies directed to youth in Brazil shows that there are few interventions based on the youth protagonism. Social projects tend to define youth behavior as deviant or risky, mainly when dealing with lower income population, not taking into consideration their specific social practices and representations. This perspective remains among sexual and reproductive health programs directed to poor teenagers, as well as, the naturalization of youth's biological, psychological and social aspects. The assessment of social interventions directed to youth in Brazil also indicates that: 1) AIDS/STI approach emphasizes the dissemination of information and health care access, disregarding the social and cultural experiences of these groups; 2) there are scarce analyses about the implications of these interventions in the youth life. Description: This research study the influence of four social projects based in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil in the youth life perspectives, particularly on their sexual and reproductive health. All of the projects intend to improve professional qualification and citizenship development of poor young people. For this analysis, the research carried out 42 in-depth interviews with young people from 19 -24 years old, male and female (including 24 teenagers that had been engaged in social projects and 18 with no project engagement), in order to analyze their trajectory of life, focusing family, schooling, work, sex experience, and other aspects. Lessons learned: Young people involved in social projects: develop a higher level of professional qualification; reveal more conscious about their rights as citizens; enlarge their social networks and, as a result, more positive future perspectives. This study analyzes how these changes affect the sexual and reproductive health practices of the interviewers. Recommendation: This research seeks to contribute to the development of more effective AIDS/STI educational and preventive public policies.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Adolescent
- Behavior
- Brazil
- Evaluation Studies
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Population
- Poverty
- Public Policy
- Qualitative Research
- Reproductive Medicine
- Research
- education
- methods
- therapy
Other ID:
UI: 102277528
From Meeting Abstracts