Sexual health education evening positive forum for rangatahi

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A sexual health education evening at Tautua Village was the first of its kind in the region, providing a positive forum for open discussion on the subject.

Youth who attended had the opportunity to informally explore contraception and protection material, ask Tairawhiti sexual health professionals questions and vote on how they would like to see sexual health information presented to their age bracket in the future.

Programme lead for Aniwaniwa Tairawhiti, Gio To'a, said there was a real lack of knowledge out there and she hoped the evening would shed some light on the subject of sexual health. The information evening was a chance to break the ice and for youth to ask questions and get the information they needed, she said.

Family Planning health educator and key note speaker Sheralee Wootton says studies show that people with informative, positive attitudes around sex are more likely to use contraception, communicate risks with their partners, and report more positive sexual interactions.

“Sex is a part of life and we need to be honest in teaching rangatahi (youth) how to have healthy, respectful and safe intimate experiences.

“Giving rangatahi space and opportunity to lead their learning and ask the questions they want to know is important in fostering independence and resilience.”

Her underlying message to attendees was, “Consent is key; you decide what you're comfortable with and what happens to your body, no one else can do that for you. There is nothing more important than your respect for yourself and for your body”.

Representatives from the Tairawhiti Sexual Health Action Group supported discussion around topics such as decision-making, sexually transmitted infections and how to access free sexual and reproductive health services.

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