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Important to emphasize communication and
shared responsibility between boys and girls
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Photo: UN, B. Goldberg
Slide 43
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The term gender refers to the different roles and relationships
of males and females, as determined by the particular society
and culture in which they live. Gender affects expectations
the society has regarding the sexual behavior of boys and girls,
as well as their responsibility for contraception and unplanned
pregnancy. Gender also affects the cultural acceptance of practices
that can jeopardize the reproductive health of girls, such as
sexual abuse or female genital mutilation.
Incorporating gender into reproductive health programs for
youth can be an opportunity to emphasize communication and shared
responsibility between young men and women. Providers can also
build into counseling the importance of male responsibilities
in reproductive health. Often, young men do not consider reproductive
health issues until they have to go to an STI treatment facility.
Including young men in a broad range of discussions and education
can lead to a lifelong involvement in reproductive health issues.
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Learner Note: For more on gender issues, review the page "Gender Affects
the Reproductive Health of Youth" in the first section
of this module.
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