Cultural and religious taboos around sexuality, as well as a lack of youth-friendly services, are just some of the challenges that young people face when seeking reproductive health care.
Petén, Guatemala, may be one of the most isolated and rural areas of the country, but teens there — with a commitment and drive to improve their own reproductive health as well as that of their community — are helping to put Petén on the map in a big way.
Guatemala is in Central America, located just below Mexico, where the landscape is dotted with volcanoes and impressive ruins from the ancient Mayan civilization.
Most people in Petén don't have much money, so the average teen there works after school and on the weekends to help out around the house. The majority of teens don't continue their education past high school, and some who can't afford to go to school at all choose to work full-time instead.
While macho culture tends to be the norm — meaning it's usually men in charge of decision making in families and local government — all of that is starting to change. Teenage girls and guys in Petén enjoy more equal access and rights in society today than ever before.
Tan Ux'il
For the last eight years, Planned Parenthood and a local organization called Tan Ux'il (tan oo-sheel) have worked with the community of Petén to run a sexual and reproductive health program designed to empower young people to take control of their own reproductive health and lives.
Cultural and religious taboos around sexuality, as well as a lack of youth-friendly services, are just some of the challenges that young people face when seeking reproductive health care and accurate information. To help address these issues, Guatemalan teens (plus a group of supportive adults) are active in a program that includes services, education, and community activities just for young people.
A "youth-friendly" pharmacy provides adolescents safe and easy access to contraceptives and reproductive health advice when they need them. And a peer education program trains young people to educate their peers about reproductive choices, while promoting healthy sexuality and contraceptive use through the distribution of condoms.
Sex on the Radio
In addition, a radio show run by teens, for teens called Sexo Tips ("Sex Tips") educates young listeners about sex and sexuality (addressing the many taboos and myths that exist), and listeners are free to call in with any questions they might have. A special segment of the show deals directly with the ups and downs of adolescent relationships in a fun, fictional soap-opera style. Different teens involved in the project play recurring characters.
By involving the community's youth so closely in the program's activities, Planned Parenthood and Tan Ux'il are giving young people a chance they rarely get: to be in charge of their own sexual health and to get equipped with the knowledge and supplies they need to make their own healthy, informed choices.
Get Involved
Planned Parenthood's program in Petén has been so successful that it just keeps on growing! Young people tell their friends, who decide to get involved and tell their friends ... and while Petén is still one of the most isolated places in Guatemala, it's also now a hot spot for active and engaged youth who have become true role models of healthy sexuality and empowered living.
So what are you waiting for? Find out how you can get involved in your community!
Sexuality and relationship info you can trust from Planned Parenthood® Federation of America
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