The importance of a positive approach to sexuality in sexual health programmes for unmarried adolescents in Bangladesh

Abstract

This article explores the mismatch that exists between what unmarried adolescents in Bangladesh experience, want and need in regard to their sexuality and what they receive from their society, which negatively impacts on their understanding of sexuality and their well-being. The findings provide a picture of Bangladeshi adolescents' (12–18 years) sexual feelings, experiences, behaviours, anxieties and concerns – in particular in relation to desire, pleasure, sexual power, masturbation, virginity, romantic love and dating, and arranged marriage – and how socio-sexual norms and taboos influence these. Curiosity of boys and girls about sex was driven by a need and desire to know and understand, but also because it was exciting to read about and talk about sex. Young people are not just passive recipients of adult norms and messages around sexuality, but agents who actively construe meanings and navigate between what is expected from them and what they want, need and feel themselves. Adolescents have a need for information and support – long before they ever have sex. We call for a positive, rights-based approach to sexuality education for adolescents and a focus beyond health outcomes alone to support adolescents and young people to make sense of the multiplicity of messages they encounter and reduce unnecessary feelings of guilt and anxiety.

Résumé

L'article analyse l'inadéquation entre les souhaits et les besoins des adolescents célibataires au Bangladesh pour leur sexualité et ce qu'ils reçoivent de leur société, qui influence négativement leur compréhension de la sexualité et leur bien-être. Les conclusions brossent un tableau des sentiments, des expériences, des comportements, des anxiétés et des préoccupations des adolescents bangladeshis (12–18 ans) en matière de sexualité, en particulier par rapport au désir, au plaisir, à la puissance sexuelle, à la masturbation, à la virginité, à l'amour romantique et aux rencontres, ainsi qu'au mariage arrangé, et décrivent l'influence des normes et des tabous socio-sexuels. La curiosité des garçons et des filles sur la sexualité était stimulée par un besoin et un désir de connaître et de comprendre, mais aussi parce que c'était excitant de lire et de parler de sexe. Les jeunes sont non pas des destinataires passifs des normes et messages des adultes sur la sexualité, mais des agents qui interprètent activement les significations et naviguent entre ce que l'on attend d'eux et ce qu'ils veulent, ce dont ils ont besoin et ressentent eux-mêmes. Les adolescents nécessitent des informations et un appui, bien avant d'avoir des rapports sexuels. Nous recommandons une approche positive, fondée sur les droits, de l'éducation à la sexualité pour les adolescents, la priorité allant au-delà de l'état de santé pour aider les adolescents et les jeunes à comprendre la multiplicité de messages qu'ils rencontrent et pour réduire les sentiments inutiles de culpabilité et d'anxiété.

Resumen

En este artículo se explora la incongruencia que existe entre lo que las adolescentes solteras en Bangladesh experimentan, desean y necesitan con relación a su sexualidad y lo que reciben de la sociedad, lo cual tiene un impacto negativo en su entendimiento de la sexualidad y en su bienestar. Los hallazgos ofrecen un panorama de los sentimientos, experiencias, comportamientos, ansiedades e inquietudes sexuales de las adolescentes (de 12 a 18 años de edad), en particular con relación al deseo, placer, poder sexual, masturbación, virginidad, amor romántico, citas románticas y matrimonio concertado y de cómo las normas sociosexuales y tabúes influyen en estos. La curiosidad de los niños y las niñas respecto a las relaciones sexuales fue impulsada por la necesidad y el deseo de conocer y entender, pero también porque era emocionante leer y hablar sobre sexo. Las personas jóvenes no son simplemente destinatarias pasivas de normas y mensajes de adultos respecto a la sexualidad, sino agentes que interpretan los significados y navegan entre lo que se espera de ellas y lo que desean, necesitan y sienten. La adolescencia necesita información y apoyo, mucho antes de empezar a tener sexo. Hacemos un llamado a formular y aplicar una estrategia positiva, basada en derechos, de educación sexual para adolescentes y a centrarse más allá de los resultados de salud para apoyar a la adolescencia y la juventud para que puedan entender la multiplicidad de mensajes que encuentran y disminuir sentimientos innecesarios de culpabilidad y ansiedad.

Key Words:

• adolescents
• sexuality
• rights
• sex-positive approach
• youth participation
• Bangladesh

Acknowledgements

The research project was commissioned by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) with financial support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; coordinated by Rutgers WPF and an independent professional Bangladeshi researcher, in close cooperation with the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh, their staff and volunteers. Special thanks go out to the youth research team in Bangladesh: Akhter Moshammat Sabina, Islam Mainul Hasan, Islam Mohammad Jahidul, Khatun Parijat, Pervas Kamal, Rahman Mahfuza, Ray Mithon Kumar, Sume Afroza Khanam, Tanzir Azmarina. The youth research team was supported by Dr Papreen Nahar and trained by Dr Miranda van Reeuwijk. We are very grateful to the adolescents for sharing their views and experiences. Special thanks go to Doortje Braeken and Kat Watson from the IPPF London office.

Notes

* Rutgers WPF and IPPF have published a Toolkit entitled Explore for involving young people as researchers in SRHR programmes on the basis of their experiences with this research project. The toolkit includes guidelines on how to create conditions for successful youth participation in research and enhance the effectiveness of youth sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes, as well as three manuals to train and support young people to conduct qualitative data collection for research, monitoring and evaluation. www.rutgerswpf.org/article/explore-toolkit-involving-young-people-researchers-sexual-and-reproductive-health-programmes.

* There are some non-governmental initiatives, e.g. (i) an intervention to present a session on reproductive health in eight secondary schools for grades 9 and 10, and distribute an educational booklet that covered, among other topics, physiological changes of adolescence, duration of menstrual cycle, fertile period, leucorrhoea, masturbation, and night emissions, in a peri-urban school of Dhaka in 2004–05;⁵ and (ii) the Adolescent Reproductive Health Education project that was introduced by BRAC through local schools and community libraries in areas with poor socio-economic conditions throughout Bangladesh in 1995, taught by women teachers from the community, which covered physiological and emotional changes during adolescence, the process of reproduction and pregnancy, family planning, early marriage, disease prevention, substance abuse, smoking, equality between the sexes, and gender-based violence.⁶

* For more information, see: www.rutgerswpf.org/content/srhr-alliance-unite-body-rights or contact [email protected]