Soccer and sexual well being in faculties in Côte d’Ivoire

Within the Ivory Coast, the NGO Deal with Africa works to convey messages about sexual well being via soccer workouts. HIV, STIs, gender-based violence, genital mutilation or entry to contraception, many critical and critical subjects are mentioned with main faculty college students in a great temper and with a bullet within the foot. in a main faculty in Grand-Bassam.

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Between the Atlantic and the outdated buildings in Grand-Bassam that had been labeled as a World Heritage Web site, the women within the EP2 faculty’s CM2 class took to the bottom. Apple inexperienced swimsuits on the again, soccer. Fabrice Meledjro, the coach, alternates between strategic counseling and sports activities counseling and sexual well being prevention.

On this system for these younger women, fourteen exercises and as many essential performances about sexuality and reproductive well being. With two precedence targets: to get to know and shield towards HIV, which impacts greater than 400,000 individuals within the Ivory Coast, and to combat early being pregnant.

“We attempt to mix the 2: soccer and prevention. That makes the message attention-grabbing. I believe they’re pleased to maintain one thing that we need to develop via coaching, Fabrice explains.

“Breaking taboos”

In Côte d’Ivoire, about 4,000 teenage women grow to be pregnant annually. The problem for NGO Deal with Africa is to speak to those younger women earlier than their sexual life begins, in order that they match the vocabulary and methods of safety.

“To begin with, it’s a large taboo to speak about sexuality. Possibly extra with women than with boys. We should subsequently transcend the truth that it’s a taboo and that they might not discuss it at residence. And secondly, information. They don’t essentially learn about HIV and have no idea shield themselves towards it, states venture supervisor Rebecca Illescu. These are the 2 most essential themes: the data we give them and break the taboos they encounter at residence and in society. ”

Stéphanie is 11 years outdated and has already gained some information. “I realized to guard myself from HIV and use a condom,” she says. And in the event you hear that you’ve got HIV, you must take drugs day-after-day and if that doesn’t work, you return to the hospital. “

AIDS-related illnesses are nonetheless the main explanation for dying amongst younger individuals in Africa, the one age group the place infections proceed to extend.

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