Adolescent pregnancies and girls' sexual and reproductive rights in the amazon basin of Ecuador: an analysis of providers' and policy makers' discourses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adolescent pregnancies are a common phenomenon that can have both positive and negative consequences. The rights framework allows us to explore adolescent pregnancies not just as isolated events, but in relation to girls' sexual and reproductive freedom and their entitlement to a system of health protection that includes both health services and the so called social determinants of health. The aim of this study was to explore policy makers' and service providers' discourses concerning adolescent pregnancies, and discuss the consequences that those discourses have for the exercise of girls' sexual and reproductive rights' in the province of Orellana, located in the amazon basin of Ecuador.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We held six focus-group discussions and eleven in-depth interviews with 41 Orellana's service providers and policy makers. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using discourse analysis, specifically looking for interpretative repertoires.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Four interpretative repertoires emerged from the interviews. The first repertoire identified was "sex is not for fun" and reflected a moralistic construction of girls' sexual and reproductive health that emphasized abstinence, and sent contradictory messages regarding contraceptive use. The second repertoire -"gendered sexuality and parenthood"-constructed women as sexually uninterested and responsible mothers, while men were constructed as sexually driven and unreliable. The third repertoire was "professionalizing adolescent pregnancies" and lead to patronizing attitudes towards adolescents and disregard of the importance of non-medical expertise. The final repertoire -"idealization of traditional family"-constructed family as the proper space for the raising of adolescents while at the same time acknowledging that sexual abuse and violence within families was common.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Providers' and policy makers' repertoires determined the areas that the array of sexual and reproductive health services should include, leaving out the ones more prone to cause conflict and opposition, such as gender equality, abortion provision and welfare services for pregnant adolescents. Moralistic attitudes and sexism were present - even if divergences were also found-, limiting services' capability to promote girls' sexual and reproductive health and rights.</p

Are men well served by family planning programs?

Although the range of contraceptives includes methods for men, namely condoms, vasectomy and withdrawal that men use directly, and the Standard Days Method (SDM) that requires their participation, family planning programming has primarily focused on women. What is known about reaching men as contraceptive users? This paper draws from a review of 47 interventions that reached men and proposes 10 key considerations for strengthening programming for men as contraceptive users. A review of programming shows that men and boys are not particularly well served by programs. Most programs operate from the perspective that women are contraceptive users and that men should support their partners, with insufficient attention to reaching men as contraceptive users in their own right. The notion that family planning is women’s business only is outdated. There is sufficient evidence demonstrating men’s desire for information and services, as well as men’s positive response to existing programming to warrant further programming for men as FP users. The key considerations focus on getting information and services where men and boys need it; addressing gender norms that affect men’s attitudes and use while respecting women’s autonomy; reaching adolescent boys; including men as users in policies and guidelines; scaling up successful programming; filling gaps with implementation research and monitoring & evaluation; and creating more contraceptive options for men

O processo de humanização do ambiente hospitalar centrado no trabalhador El proceso de humanización del ambiente hospitalario centrado en el trabajador The humanization process of the hospital environment centered around the worker

A humanização do ambiente hospitalar não se concretiza se estiver centrada unicamente em fatores motivacionais externos ou somente no usuário. Um programa de humanização necessita ser assumido como um processo de construção participativa que requer respeito e valorização do ser humano que cuida. Pautado em valores e princípios humanos e éticos e em idéias de Freire, este trabalho tem por objetivo explicitar como se desencadeou um processo de humanização, numa instituição hospitalar, centrado, inicialmente, no trabalhador, mediante a problematização coletiva da realidade concreta e a construção de relações dialógicas, horizontais e reflexivas. A proposta possibilitou maior compreensão do significado de humanização, com o resgate de iniciativas anteriores de humanização já adotadas, a adoção de um Banco de Idéias como um espaço para a emersão de subjetividades, a organização de ambientes coletivos acolhedores e uma maior aproximação entre a direção e trabalhadores.<br>La humanización del ambiente hospitalario no se concretiza si estuviera centrada únicamente en factores de motivación externas o solamente en el usuario. Un programa de humanización necesita ser asumido como un proceso de construcción participativa que requiere respeto y valorización del ser humano que cuida. Basados en valores y principios humanos y éticos y en ideas de Freire, este trabajo tuvo por objetivo explicitar cómo se desencadenó el proceso de humanización, en una institución hospitalaria, centrado, inicialmente, en el trabajador, mediante la problematización colectiva de la realidad concreta y la construcción de relaciones dialógicas, horizontales y reflexivas. La propuesta posibilitó mayor comprensión del significado de humanización, con el rescate de iniciativas anteriores de humanización ya adoptada, la adopción de un Banco de Ideas como un espacio para la emergencia de subjetividades, la organización de ambientes colectivos acogedores y una mayor aproximación entre la dirección y los trabajadores.<br>The humanization of the hospital environment cannot be achieved if the focus is directed only to external motivational factors or just to the user. A humanization program needs to be assumed as a participative construction process that demands respect and valuing of the human being that provides care. Based on human and ethics values and principles and on Freire's ideas, this study aims to describe how a humanization process was unchained in a hospital, initially centering on the worker, through the collective discussion of concrete problems and the construction of horizontal, reflective dialogical relations. The proposal made possible a better comprehension of the meaning of humanization, with the rescue of previous initiatives of humanization, the elaboration of a databank in which there is room for subjectivity, the creation of warm collective areas and a closer relationship between directors and workers