Youths receive sexual health advice, training

Young people hailing from the Windward side of mainland St Vincent have been taking part in a 3-day Youth Health Conference, designed to educate them about sexual health and relationship matters.{{more}}

The programme, in its fourth year of operation, took place at the Biabou Learning Resource Centre and ends today, July 20.

Verlene Saunders, representative from one of the sponsors, SVG Planned Parenthood Association, explained that the programme, which saw participation from 30 youths, would “ensure that young people have information on sexual and reproductive health, and what are their rights.”

She said that by knowing the facts about sexual health and relationships, participants should be better able to resist peer pressure and refrain from being led astray.

Saunders added that a session on anger management has been introduced this year, in response to an increase in gang-related violence in schools in the area.

“We are hoping that at the end of this, people will have information that will help them to make better choices in their lives,” she said.

Programme coordinators included Peter Pompey, Dionne Smith, Patrick Prescod, Sister Wendy Trent and Maridonna Burgin.

Saunders also said that it was her wish that the participants would take away enough information from the conference to become “peer educators” – thereby helping to disseminate what they have learnt to the wider community.(JV)