How Do You Talk To Youth About The Facts Of Life, How Do You Start The Conversation?

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, helped launch a booklet to guide communications between parents and youth on sensitive matters in order to save adolescents’ lives by avoiding problems such as HIV/AIDS. Launched in Lagos in late November 2003, the booklet was published by Action Health Incorporated, a Nigerian non-governmental organization.

Entitled, Can't we talk about it? A Self-help guide for talking with your adolescent , the booklet was presented by a representative of Mrs. Titi Abubakar, wife of Nigeria’s Vice President.

“While adults wring their hands over the behaviour of young people, many are often unable to communicate effectively with them about their sexual and reproductive lives,” said Mrs. Abubakar, in a statement she sent to the occasion. “Parents' difficulties in understanding the needs of their adolescents, combined with cultural beliefs about parenting and gender all constrain our ability to prepare young people. Failing to provide critical information, skills and support to young people sends them out into the world inadequately prepared for life.”

In such a situation, Mrs. Abubakar stated, young people often made uninformed or unwise decisions, based on myths, incorrect information or peer pressure. In that context, she commended UNFPA for supporting the parent-child communication guide because the home was the best place to start preparing youth for the challenges of the transition to adulthood.

The booklet is part of a series of community-based efforts UNFPA is helping to provide adolescents with information on reproductive health, which would empower them to protect their health and lives.

Among those at the occasion were UNFPA’s Deputy Executive Director (Programmes), Kunio Waki; UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, Wendy Fitzwilliam, and the Fund’s Representative in Nigeria, Niangoran Essan.

--Abubakar Dungus