I`ve realized - perhaps obviously - that a large part of the reason that adolescent Peruvian girls enter into unprotected sexual relationships is because of the guys. If the guys don`t specifically tell the girls that they want to use a condom, the girls will stay quiet and not even touch upon the issue. Thus, I decided to begin talking to groups of adolescent boys about the importance of condom-usage, just like how I talked to the girls about the importance of using both a condom and birth control pills if they are sexually active. However, from an anthropological standpoint, it was interesting how the way in which I had to approach this topic to the females was completely different than how I had to approach it with the boys. While the premise of what I was discussing was exactly the same (how use methods of birth control and the importance of using them), I had to alter the way I spoke to the two different sexes in order to get them to listen to what I had to say. With the girls, I was soft-spoken and used a very serious tone of voice, while with the boys I was a lot louder and a bit more hardcore, kind of like a drill seargent (the only thing missing from my spiel was yelling "DROP AND GIMME TWENTY!"). My approach to get the boys to wear condoms consisted of this:
Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Wear A Condom:
1) Some girls will try to manipulate you and tell you that they won`t get pregnant if you don`t use a condom. They only do this in order to have your baby and finagle you into being not only their husband, but also their economic provider. I ask you, "Do you want to be married at age 16?" If so, have fun saying goodbye to your hard-earned money.... AND your freedom.
2) Wear a condom because the withdrawal method does not work when used as an independent form of birth control because of its high failure rate. I ask you, what guy has the self-control to pull out right as he is in his moment of ecstasy? (all the guys mulled silently over this one......). Thus, it is easier just to use a condom and feel all the pleasure you want instead of having to remember to pull out.
3) Imagine if you have sexual relations with a girl that has already had certain sexual relations with some of your friends. If you don`t use a condom ..... It`s like having sex with your friends. I ask you... Do you have a strong desire to have sex with your best friends?
Overall, the boys seemed to respond to these reasons to wear a condom a lot better than by me just telling them, "wear a condom so that the girl won`t get pregnant and so you won`t get STDS." While it may be a bit risky to be telling the boys such things in a Catholic-run school, the reality is that sexual health needs to be discussed with today`s youth, and it needs to be discussed in innovative ways that really resonate with the new generation.
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