Juan Camilo Saldarriaga, 20, of San José, Costa Rica, says young people deserve better services and stronger policies
Juan Camilo Saldarriaga
Teenage pregnancy is a big problem in my country; every year more than 14,000 teenagers get pregnant. I have seen many of my former highschool classmates and friends give up their dreams because they now had children.
I always asked myself what would happen if they had a comprehensive sex education that allowed them to choose what they really wanted. That's how I got involved in the sexual and reproductive rights programme of the Costa Rican Demographic Association (ADC).
The programme addresses the pressing need to create a place where young people can get involved in the promotion and defence of sexual and reproductive rights. This is especially important in a country like Costa Rica, where in the last year there has been a heated public discussion about sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Conservative groups in the government hold considerable power and some in the ruling party have opposed sexual and reproductive rights. As a result of this young people's sexuality, especially young women's sexuality, is an issue that is not openly discussed. This is what we want to change.
The way our society understands sex has changed rapidly in recent years, and that has created an intergenerational gap.
The way our societies understood sexual diversity 15 years ago is very different from the way that a young person can perceive it today. This gap can sometimes act as a barrier when adults are trying to share knowledge or experiences with young people.
The teacher who gave some basic sex education in my highschool was about 65 years old. There was a huge difference between her conceptions about sexuality and our. She kept talking about how bad oral sex was and how we should maintain our virginity until marriage, but our experiences and beliefs contradicted to what she was saying.
Peer-to-peer education is the way to break through that gap. As young people we know our own realities and we know what we need.
Our project brings together young people from different sectors of society, with the objective of developing advocacy actions and empowering people. In the early stages of this programme, we had training sessions in which we were familiarised with concepts like gender equality, sexual diversity, human rights, women's empowerment and reproductive health. We then began discussion sessions on related topics and developments in our country.
In our meetings we develop strategies to influence public opinion and policies at different levels. We also co-ordinate efforts with other youth-led organisations and public institutions. We have also participated in health fairs, with information stands and activities.
I realised that many young people want a more equal world and are willing to work to achieve it. But they often don't find a place to focus all that energy and strength towards analysis and actions, that is where the activism programme fits in.
We have made good progress. For a long time our decision-makers have been acting based on their personal moral and religious values. It is time they answered to the real needs of young people, and for that they must hear us without prejudice. We demand comprehensive sex education, access to the broadest range of reproductive health services, including emergency contraception and safe abortion. We need stronger policies on gender equality. We need to recognise the rights of all people, independently of their gender identity or orientation.
In short, the young people of Costa Rica demand a more just and equal society.
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