---------------------------------------------------------

Sexuality is an important aspect of developing a sense of self and well-being. However, it remains an indistinct and a misunderstood concept with people often equating sexuality only with acts of sex. As young people grow up, they often remain mystified about sexuality.

Young people constitute a considerable percentage of the world population and are vulnerable to various health hazards especially related to their reproductive and sexual health. Consequently, more and more interventions are being designed keeping young people in mind. Yet, what is the perspective with which these interventions are designed? What is the manner in which these messages are conveyed? Do these interventions serve to meet the desired goal or do they serve to alienate young people even further? As discussions of sexuality and sexual rights gain momentum globally, it becomes pertinent to discuss, debate and address the specific concerns of young people as a group with regard to sexuality and explore what it is that makes work on young people's sexuality so controversial and contentious.

What do we mean by 'young people'? Are they a homogenous category? The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines adolescence as those in the age group of 10 - 19 years, young people as those between the ages of 10 and 24 years and youth as people who fall within the age range of 15 - 24 years. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 'a child means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier'.

Definitions of young people thus vary, depending on the particular focus of attention, context, country and even within a country itself. Sometimes, even within a country they are defined differently in different laws and policies. The definitions accorded to 'young people' vary from that of policy framers to health and information providers. The needs and priorities of this group also change according to contexts, region, country, socio-economic status, disability status and also marital status, amongst other factors. For example, as one of the participants has pointed out, the needs of children living on the streets vary from those who live in secure homes, or the needs of disabled young people from that of able-bodied people. For the purposes of this discussion, the terms youth and young people were used interchangeably to mean people within the age group of 10 - 24 years. The idea was to keep the parameters wide so as to bring out a broad range of aspects and to ensure a vibrant debate and discussion.

Young people are often considered as people who are impressionable, devoid of agency and unable to take decisions about their own lives. Therefore, when it comes to claiming the rights of young people, it is often the significant adults around them or the State who get to control their rights. In the situation when young people have little or no information about their rights it becomes difficult for them to identify, articulate and to claim their own rights. At this juncture when the concept of sexual rights is not clear even for adults, does it make sense to talk about sexual rights of young people?

In this E-Discussion, participants were invited to offer their views around four lines of enquiry:

(i) Sexuality and Young People - Making More Connections

What do we mean by young people? What issues of sexuality are commonly addressed with them and in what manner? What is it about sexuality and young people that makes it such a contentious issue? What language and assumptions are used to address issues of sexuality with young people? Are there spaces for young people themselves to articulate and engage with a range of issues when it comes to their sexuality?

(ii) Access to Information and Services

What are the spaces for young people to articulate their concerns about sexuality? Are these adequate? In these spaces, what are the various points of entry for young people? What are the spaces where young people can have access to information, services and resources on sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and rights? Do these spaces allow for positive and affirmative messages on sexuality? Are they open and non-judgmental spaces where young people could articulate their concerns, seek information and participate in decision-making?

(iii) Sexuality, Young People and Rights

What do we mean by sexual rights for young people? What do they comprise of and how are they different from reproductive rights? Should young people be able to claim sexual rights? Do all young people have the same rights? Should there be a different set of rights for different categories of young people such as that for disabled young people or young people who do not have access to formal education? Do we think that young people have the agency to consent and take decisions when it comes to sexuality? Do we think there should be an appropriate age when people can consent to having sex or take decisions about their sexuality? Who decides that age and on what basis?

(iv) Practices and Strategies - Next Steps!

What are the individual experiences of the e-forum participants in working with young people and sexuality based on which one knows what works and what doesn't? How do the strategies change according to the changing contexts throughout the region? What are the specific experiences at the ground level through working directly with young people, as well as at the policy making and advocacy levels?

A summary of all that was discussed follows. Not everything that was discussed was directly in response to, or completely in keeping with the mentioned lines of enquiry.

Sexuality and Young People - Making More Connections

From the discussions that ensued, many participants on the e-forum shared how 'young people' as a category is complex. The parameters and boundaries for defining them varies across contexts, region, age, marital status, disability etc. One of the participants pointed out the need to create indigenous categories of 'young peoples' instead of one universal category keeping in mind not only the biological age but also cultural, social, racial, economic and political realities.

While it is convenient to delineate and categorize people in terms of age, it is known that the experiences in countries of South and Southeast Asia are very different because, in this region there are people who get married at a very young age and are elevated to the status of being adults - marital status gaining precedence over age or any other variable.

An underlying assumption is that sexuality is limited to marriage. As one of the participants pointed out, young people are 'differentially treated by health care and information providers and policy makers especially when it comes to issues of sexuality and reproductive health'.

There is also the risk of leaving out some groups of young people. For example, a participant stated that when interventions on young people are designed, most of them are through schools through sexuality education etc. However, in the process young people who may not have access to formal school education may be left out. Also, the needs of homeless children are very different from those who have sheltered lives; as also the needs of disabled young persons would be different from those of able-bodied ones. Therefore it is necessary that different strategies are devised to cater to differential needs

Sexuality is by itself a taboo topic. Therein lies the root of the contention. The issue becomes even more complex when it is to do with young people and sexuality. As a participant remarked, 'as long as the message is - no sex for the young - there is no contention'. When the issue is of young people and sexuality, the role of guardians, law makers, policy makers and service providers inevitably becomes that of 'protecting' rather than allowing spaces and opportunities for information and interaction. Young people are rarely considered as people in their own right, able to take decisions on their own, more so on issues of sexuality. A participant from India said that the discourse with young people is often on 'young people's sexuality' rather than talking holistically about sexuality as such.

Most available information on young people and sexuality is from a clinical and medical perspective. Either there is an over-emphasis on sexual and reproductive health issues or the debates and conversations on sexuality are centred on HIV/AIDS, public hygiene and methods of contraception. The few messages that exist are fear-based and abstinence-only messages. Instead of creating safe spaces for debate and dialogue, it further alienates young people.

Any target group intervention aimed solely at 'young people' - without an equal importance to other stakeholders such as parents, teachers etc. - could be a mistake. A participant noted that as much as it is important to impart sexuality education to young people, it is also important that lessons on how to do so should be provided to parents. For example, a participant shared that families hide any information on sexuality more for girls than for boys. The participant added 'restricting the mobility of young girls is often the safest choice of the parents for fear of [the young girls] getting sexually assaulted'. These go towards reinforcing and perpetuating various gender stereotypes.

Young people's sexuality is often considered to be 'out of control', so it must be restricted and contained. Many harbor the notion that talking openly about sexuality may 'encourage young people to have sex in an untimely manner'. Sexuality is often equated just with the act of sex or seen as something 'dirty'. The norms around sexuality differ for married and unmarried people and that too on whether or not it is for the purpose of procreation. Many interventions around sexuality also focus on how young people could prevent abuse and harassment. While that is important, concomitant spaces to talk about affirmative aspects of sexuality are inadequate. As a participant pointed out, 'we need to provide young people with not only how to say no but also how to say yes'.

Interventions and policies need to shift from being protectionist. There is very little youth participation in designing programmes and policies. That is why policies do not meet the needs of the young people. A participant shared the example of how family planning policies do not give due consideration to unmarried people. Sexual and reproductive health services are not available to them. Even if they are available, they remain unfriendly towards young people. We need to consider young people as equal change agents and capable of participating and taking decisions on issues which concern them.

Any target group intervention aimed solely at 'young people' - without an equal importance to other stakeholders such as parents, teachers etc. - could be a mistake. A participant noted that as much as it is important to impart sexuality education to young people, it is also important that lessons on how to do so should be provided to parents. For example, a participant shared that families hide any information on sexuality more for girls than for boys. The participant added 'restricting the mobility of young girls is often the safest choice of the parents for fear of [the young girls] getting sexually assaulted'. These go towards reinforcing and perpetuating various gender stereotypes.

The spaces to talk about sexuality in general, are inadequate, more so when it comes to young people's sexuality. The few spaces that exist are likely to be judgemental and value-laden. They tend to push young people further away. For young people, families and schools are usually the first points of contact with the outside world. Both, families and schools shy away from talking about sexuality. Eventually young people find alternative sources such as peers, porn magazines and websites, which may not have accurate information. There is a need to break the myths and taboos around sexuality and to create positive and affirmative spaces. As stated by a participant, 'sufficient spaces for young people must be created to build their capacities in articulating and developing what sexualities means and enabling young people to gain control over their own sexualities'.

Top

There are various messages on sexuality that reach out to people in general and young people in particular. Technology and mass media has 'changed the way in which people live, think and relate to one another'. Mass media including television and internet bombard young people with all kinds of messages. At the same time, a participant pointed that mass media helps to 'fill up a lot of gaps' and it helps break down taboos. This aspect of the media is however problematic as the images portrayed could be limited, harmful and stereotypical.

In the circumstances young people remain ignorant and unaware and may be misinformed. According to a participant, it stems from the very belief that information will be harmful to young people, that it will have a number of undesirable 'implications' for them. The participant found it ironic that often the same implications are talked about but solely in the context of young girls and perhaps only to keep them from getting pregnant.

Another participant said that though there are physical spaces where one could access information on sexuality, an environment to discuss issues - openly and without being judged - is lacking. Also, due to social conditioning and associated feelings of guilt, shame, suspicion or peer pressure, awareness and access to these spaces is restricted.

Most participants in the forum agreed on the importance of sexuality education for young people. They confirmed that sexuality education should ideally contain information not just about the body and the bodily functions, but also talk about various gender roles and stereotypes, sexual preferences and identities etc. However, many participants felt that this would be inadequate if simultaneous spaces are not created for parents, teachers and other significant adults (in the lives of young people). In the absence of these spaces, young people often get mixed messages on sexuality and end up feeling more confused about themselves, their feelings and emotions. Teachers and parents need to feel more comfortable around these issues to be able to impart such education and to enable them to have a sense of well-being. Care needs to be taken about the selection and training of educators so that these educators are not biased by their own prejudices and/or the dominant notions of morality.

Young people themselves are diverse in themselves and have a wide variety of needs. For example, not all young people go to schools to receive formal education. There is a need to reach out to them as well. A participant said, 'it may be a better idea to explore non-formal channels of education' both for young people who have access to formal education and for those who do not, so that 'young people have an opportunity to surface their actual realities and concerns'

According to another participant, sexuality education must cater to the specific needs of various 'marginalised groups' such as dalits (in India) or disabled people who are often considered 'de-sexed' but - at the same time - are sexually exploited.

Most discussants agreed that although sexuality education is important for young people, it should be made age-appropriate. Local definitions of young people across different cultures and contexts should be taken into consideration. While some discussants thought that sexuality education should begin from the age of 13 years, there were others who were hesitant to assign an age. A few said that it was up to the lawmakers to decide. There were others who said that sexuality education should be included in the curriculum right from pre-school because sexual abuse could happen to young people and children at a very early age. While a few discussants said that sexuality education should be provided to young people before they become sexually active, there were others who said that it should be made available to young people as soon as 'the gendering process starts in earnest'.

Many emphasized the need to give sexuality education to different age groups and at different levels. It could be provided in the form of manuals. A manual of general information could be developed. Different modules could be developed for different groups keeping in mind their unique needs.

Language can be a great barrier to any kind of communication across South and Southeast Asia especially around issues of sexuality. A discussant drew attention to the need for evolving a language to speak about sexuality by evolving new terms and vocabulary in our language.

Many countries in South and Southeast Asia are currently seriously debating on whether to include sexuality education as a part of the school curriculum. It would therefore be interesting to explore and understand the motivation and rationale behind the introduction of sexuality education in schools and colleges. What are the messages that are being imparted through the curriculum? Are these done keeping in mind the 'best interests' of young people or do they reflect some kind of fear? Also, it would be interesting to examine the specific messages which are given out to young people on sexuality and whether or not these meet the purposes for which they have been designed. Should sexuality education be a part of the school curriculum for young people? If yes, then what would be the most effective way of incorporating it? Is it advisable to have a State approved sexuality education curriculum? What are the specific messages that are crafted when communicating with young people? And, what remains absent in these messages?

The ways and means by which messages are crafted for young people may either be participatory or exclusionary. Many of the services and information that are aimed at young people often perpetuate fear-based messages, which do not allow for young people to communicate and share their own concerns and opinions and often alienate them further.

With the blurring caused by varying definitions of young people, the information available to them is often limited, ambiguous or even incorrect. It adds to the prevailing confusion. Most messages that reach young people are that of public health and safety without any mention of pleasure or affirmative aspects of sexuality. A participant said, 'when it comes to sexuality there is a constant reference to 'Indian culture' and an 'othering' of young people'. The abstract notion of Indian culture is upheld, ignoring the needs of young people.

The messages that the media gives and the messages that are received - at home or in schools - could be contradictory. For example one of the participants shared how her brother received mixed and contradictory messages from the media and his family. While the media considered same-sex relationships as okay, his mother felt otherwise. It is no wonder then that young people often grow up perplexed and mystified about sexuality.

When it comes to crafting of messages, the primary concern is the amount of control that can be exerted - in terms of deciding what constitutes education. Also, who are the people involved in the process and what are the assumptions behind these messages?

Messages that affirm sexuality are missing. Most messages are fear-based and stereotypical messages. Messages of pleasure, of positive and affirmative sexuality remain largely absent. It is necessary also that along with talking about sexuality we should raise questions and concerns about gender roles and stereotypes. The approach needs to be one of getting young people as partners and peers; this would enable them to assert more control over their own bodies and lives.

Top

Sexuality remains an indistinct and misunderstood concept with people often equating sexuality only with acts of sex. The concept of sexual rights is still very ambiguous. Sexuality does not figure as a priority in the development discourse. People are still grappling with what it entails. Does it entail the right to be 'promiscuous'? Is it pitted directly against social and cultural mores of the country? Development activists are still working with either a charity approach or an empowerment one. The language of rights is yet to be widely used.

Sexual rights are slowly gaining momentum globally. However, what is it that comprises sexual rights and how are they different from reproductive rights? Often reproductive and sexual rights are clubbed into the same category with the idea that they are one and the same. This kind of a connection comes from an underlying assumption of heterosexuality and excludes other choices. It also dilutes the importance of sexual and reproductive rights as separate concepts. It is important to differentiate between the two.

Young people are often considered to be impressionable, devoid of agency and unable to take decisions about their own lives. Therefore, when it comes to claiming rights of young people, it is most often the significant adults around them or the State who control or decide the rights of young people. When young people have little or no information about their specific rights, it becomes difficult for them to identify, articulate and to claim rights.

In a context where sexual activity is understood to occur exclusively within marriage, the legal age of marriage becomes pertinent in terms of young people claiming their rights. As mentioned above, in India, it is 18 years for girls and 21 for boys. Although child marriages are explicitly prohibited, there are many instances of child marriages in India.

One of the participants shared an anecdote about her visit to a self help group called Bal Peharua (which means shelter home for children) of an NGO, located in Varanasi, India. The members of the self-help group were 10-20 year olds. The discussant shared that they: '… were brought under the same canopy to pursue their own rights, safeguard themselves against child abuse [and] gender biases, to counter dowry demands, avoid adolescent pregnancies and other associated issues and [to] bring about an attitudinal change in their own family and the society at large'. She shared the story of a 15 year old girl, Giriya, in the same village, whose marriage was fixed to a person almost double her age because of parental pressures. This is despite the presence of a law which sets the l egal age at marriage for girls at 18 years and for boys at 21 years. Giriya was subjected to physical torture, almost every day by her parents because of her resistance to marry. Giriya wanted to pursue her studies. On the day of the wedding when the wedding procession was just a few yards away from Giriya's home, the Bal Peharua members offered resistance to the wedding. The situation became critical enough for the NGO members to intervene. At last, after elaborate discussions, a consensus was reached that although the wedding would take place, Giriya would remain with her parents, till she was 18 years of age, which is the legal age of marriage. This incident revealed the strength of Bal Peharua members. It was an eye opener for the entire village and everyone realized that even children, if united, had the power to pursue their rights and safeguard themselves from atrocities. This is an example of the agency of people, in this case young people, to bring desired changes in their lives.

A significant factor is the age of consent. It means the age at which people can legally consent to sex. The age of consent differs not only across countries but also within the same country and between different genders and sexual orientations. Should the age to take one's decisions on sexuality differ with gender, marital status or sexual orientation? For example, the age of consent in India is stipulated only for girls, which is 16 years. The law does not stipulate age of consent for boys in India. Until recently, the age of consent in Hong Kong was 16 years for heterosexual acts and 21 for homosexual acts. Also, the law did not say anything about lesbians, entirely ignoring their existence.

A participant from Laos said that there should be no discrimination based on gender. Men and women should be treated equally. A participant from India noted however that adolescent girls face higher risks. They are more vulnerable to sexually transmissible infections (STIs) or reproductive tract infections (RTIs), and may also have pregnancy related problems. The participant thought it 'imperative to undertake orientation on sexuality with adolescent girls before the onset of menstrual cycle'. Because of this, the participant said an age differential based on gender is OK; but an age differential based on sexual orientation is not justified.

Since young people have so few rights, the onus of making information and services accessible to young people falls largely on the parents and other significant adults. They have a significant role to play in the development process of a child. A participant said that just like adults are entitled to sexual rights, so are young people. A participant from India added, 'how young people make decisions about their relationships, decide to abstain or participate in sex, and how they decide to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy is influenced by factors. Parents, peers, media, access to education and services, and a host of other factors influence their decisions and subsequent health outcomes'.

Good communication amidst young people, parents, teachers and other significant adults is key to young people developing a positive sense of self and well being. A participant observed, 'Parents clearly have a role and exert considerable influence in the choices young people make. What parents might think or tell them, influences their decisions about sex and relationships. Poor communication with parents and other responsible adults about sex, safe practices etc; and any kind of parental abuse may lead to young people making incorrect decisions'. Equally important are peer group attitudes and peer pressure. Young people are very often part of peer groups and may feel pressured to behave in particular ways. It is therefore important to move away from individual factors as the circle of influence on young people's decision-making abilities also extends to the roles of the community in which young people live, the kind of opportunities a school provides by way of education and information, and, last but not the least, their access to services.

Sex fu challenge

Sexuality education for young people can be carried out through interactive games and exercises. As an illustration of this, an online quiz, called the Sex-Fu Challenge (hosted by a Canadian website called 'Sexuality and U' http://www.sexualityandu.ca/eng) was introduced to the participants. The quiz could be used as a tool to facilitate discussions on sexuality. Many participants said that they found it very interesting. One said, 'this gave me an opportunity to test my knowledge on human anatomy'; another said 'it is an informative game and at the same time involves a lot of fun thus making information sharing an exciting process'.

Top

Sexuality remains highly misunderstood and misinterpreted. It usually falls low in the hierarchy of issues dealt with by development activists. A Ph.D scholar from IIT, Mumbai supplemented this by saying, 'Since age, sex and sexuality had always been used interchangeably and hence understanding of sexuality was not very clear. Additionally, the definition of sexuality has always been changing with time and also mainly because society always had a very strong influence in defining 'sexuality'. Sexuality has been perceived as a source of fear and embarrassment and also as a source of pleasure and fulfillment at the same time'.

When it comes to sexuality and young people, all is not bleak. There is exciting and innovative work on sexuality and young people that is going on. The E-forum space was used to invite participants to share individual experiences of working with young people and sexuality and further devise strategies from everyone's collective experience especially when working at the policy-making and advocacy levels. Also, participants were invited to share resources and materials on young people and sexuality that they may have come across whether in the form of websites, books and other documents, to develop a consolidated resource pool of materials.

The discussions in this subtopic started with a participant from India suggesting that at the policy level there is a need for a national framework as well as regional frameworks from which schools, health care agencies and other such agents (which are directly involved with youth) will be able to draw their own policies. She supplemented this by saying that the National Youth Policy(2003) in India was insufficient to address health needs as it does not lay emphasis on concrete action and therefore, she felt that there was a need for an independent 'National Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy'.

When it comes to sexuality, changes in law and policy have to be juxtaposed with the work towards bringing about changes in the mind-sets of various stakeholders. A participant said, 'with this co-existence of dual perception of 'sexuality' [of it being a source of shame /fear or that of pleasure/fulfillment] in the society, I believe it becomes much more difficult for parents/teachers to talk about sexuality to the young people. At the same time, I feel there is a strong need to educate them on the issue and we just need to find out a way through which we could educate the young generation and give them the right perspective'. Some participants said that 'there was a need to adopt a multi-pronged approach to reach out not only to youth but also those involved with youth, like parents, schools, communities, health workers, and other care and service providers'. A participant added the need to 'ensure funding to campaigns and organisations adopting a wide and secular perspective on this issue instead of those with anti-sex and moralistic perspectives'.

At the practical level, a participant stated the need for more training to 'minimise wide variations in skills, attitudes, and competences in addressing issues of sexuality and sexual health. As much as possible, attention should be paid to develop socio-culturally and religiously sensitive methods'. She also said that it was important to involve community youth and young adults especially married people in the training process so 'they can be trained as community peers who can not only function as guides but also provide information and serve as referral points to organisations or other health care agencies'. The training process according to her should also include school counselors so they could be sensitized to issues of sexuality and mental health among youth. She further stressed on the need for sexuality education 'whether at the school level or at the community level to address the alarming communication gap in addressing issues of sexual harassment and abuse experienced both within and outside homes'.

Language - a challenge

As a taboo subject in most of the countries of South and Southeast Asia, finding appropriate language to communicate about sexuality becomes additionally difficult. Finding language that people are comfortable with - to talk of different body parts or sexual behaviours - is easier said than done. According to a participant, 'Language forms a very important part not only in the expression of 'sexual physiology', but of 'sexual psychology' as well; an inner language is necessary for appropriating one's own body, one's own sex'. Sexuality is fluid and its definition and connotation differs between people and contexts. A participant said, 'notions of 'sexual subjectivities' and 'Sexual Identity' are equally important […] and their implications [should be] understood as they imbricate power relations and structures, and raise pertinent issues regarding gender and sexual minorities'.

The Program Coordinator of a Resource Center in West Bengal, India spoke of the difficulty they faced in preparing Information Education and Communication (IEC) or Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) materials for their HIV/AIDS Awareness Promotion Project in Bengali language. The terminology to describe different parts of one's body is not yet developed in that language. He explained, 'I am in a great dilemma to use appropriate terms to define human organs or activities. Had it been in English, we would have been much more comfortable as this language has lot of flexibility. But what about Bengali?' He emphasised, 'before starting any discussion on sexuality, we have to develop a common language that everybody would be able to understand and that would facilitate communication'.

It was reiterated by others in the forum that it was far easier to communicate in English when it comes to issues of sexuality because the language is already developed. However, it is not as if people who speak in regional languages such as Bengali, Marathi etc do not talk about sexuality or do not have terms to refer to body parts or sexual acts among themselves. Maybe the words used are not yet part of 'accepted' language, or are considered 'slang' or crude. It was suggested that in working with young people, it maybe better to ask what terms they (the young people) use and what these terms/slang mean to them; instead of external educators or facilitators trying to find some 'official' language to communicate with them.

The moderator shared that even at the South and Southeast Asia Resource Centre on Sexuality there are recurrent difficulties around language. The Resource Centre's work is focussed mainly in 8 countries of S&SE Asia. Throughout the region there are different languages in different countries (or even within countries) which keeps people from understanding each others' local contexts. For e.g., the term Bakla in the Philippines, Warias in Indonesia or Hijra in India are very different from the term 'transgender' in English. In translating terms to a universal language such as English there is often the risk of missing local nuances.

In many languages there may just not be any term for particular concepts. There are no exact translations for the word 'sexuality' in many languages. However, that does not mean that the term or the concept does not exist. For example, in China, there is no character in the Chinese written script that would translate to the word 'sexuality.' Instead, the character for the word 'sex' is used. The challenge then becomes to explain to people what sexuality means and moving the conversation beyond sex equals sexuality. These translations could further create more misunderstanding in the process but can also often expand the meanings of a concept. A participant said, 'I think while focusing on language, as much emphasis ought to be given to ways of developing terminology to express sexual identities and psychological aspect positively as to sexual behaviors'.

However, in one's work as trainers or practitioners, people also find out ways and means to communicate terms and concepts. For instance in Hindi, even if there is no exact translation for the word sexuality, activists and health workers use the term yonikta to explain the meaning. Thus, one finds ways and means to negotiate limitations of language, maybe even create new terms to communicate ideas. However, this is a long and on-going process.

A discussion on censorship (on the usage of language) acknowledged that it could be both, imposed by external agencies or sometime even be self-imposed. Many a times we censor certain kinds of information not only because it is prohibited, but also because we ourselves consider it inappropriate.

Top

The E-Discussion Forum gathered a spectrum of views on given sub-topics /lines of enquiry. For example, Sexuality and Young People - Making More Connections offered some ideas on the ambiguity in the categorisations of young people; Access to Information and Services brought forth the lack of non-judgemental and safe spaces to talk about sexuality with young people and also the significance of introducing sexuality education in schools. Sexuality, Young People and Rights invited dialogue on the concept of agency of young people and the age at which young people could consent to sex. The introduction of Sex-Fu Challenge during this subtopic also allowed for some light moments during the discussion. The last subtopic, Practices and Strategies - Next Steps allowed the participants to share resources.

The forum gathered participation mostly from South and Southeast Asia. The content of discussion is limited to the contributions made by the participants. That by itself may not give a full picture. It introduces some of the issues in the region, with a view to have wider discussions in other forums.

Top

A Website called 'Wired for Health'

A Website on Sexual Health

TARSHI (Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues)

The South and Southeast Asia Resource Centre on Sexuality

Other Resources

National Youth Policy 2003 - Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

Population Education in Formal and Non-formal Sectors in India - Vandana Chakrabarti

Reproductive Health Awareness of School-Going, Unmarried, Rural Adolescents Gupta Neeru, Mathur AK, Singh MP, Saxena NC: The Indian Journal of Pediatrics

Gender and Relationships: A Practical Action Kit for Young People Manual - Life skills: Gender and Relationships