The midwives and nurses of Primary Care of the Lanzarote Health Area, attached to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, have launched the Encajando program, a pioneering initiative that is developed in schools to promote a positive and healthy attitude towards sexuality in adolescents between 12 and 16 years old.
Designed by a team of midwives and nurses from Primary Care, this program consists of four group sessions that use a dynamic and participatory methodology.
The main objective of the Encajando program is to promote a satisfactory and positive perception of sexuality, free of myths, taboos and erroneous beliefs. In addition, it focuses on respect for people of different genders and sexual orientations, as well as on the promotion of the use of risk prevention measures, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unplanned pregnancies and different types of sexual violence.
Since the beginning of the school year, the program has carried out more than 170 interventions in seven Secondary Education Institutes in Lanzarote and has reached more than 900 students.
Other Health Promotion Initiatives
Since last year, the Primary Care midwifery team has been developing different programs in the island's schools and offers group interventions adapted to age groups and development levels.
These activities include the El Mundo de Aridane project, aimed at 6th grade students, which since September has carried out 9 interventions with the intervention of 151 students. The Taller Nacer, Morir, Amar, Cuidar destined for 3rd grade has carried out four sessions with a total of 89 participants.
On the other hand, the project No me cuentes rollos, mitos y sexualidad aimed at 1st year ESO students has a total of 319 participants in the 16 interventions carried out this year. La caja de las DUDAX has held 23 meetings in which 481 3rd year ESO students have participated. And finally, the project designed for high school students Sexo seguro, sexo saludable, adds ten interventions this year with the participation of 238 students.
"Positive response and high participation"
Primary Care is committed to continuous improvement and adaptation of programs to ensure that adolescents and young people receive the education and tools necessary to lead a healthy and respectful sexual and emotional life.
The Encajando program and the rest of the educational projects are an example of this commitment and point out the importance of comprehensive sexual education in the formation of positive attitudes and behaviors from an early age.
The person in charge of developing the workshops in the schools of the island, Victor Romero, underlines the positive response and the high participation of the students, so the aim is to reach and expand the initiative to the largest number of educational centers.
The Encajando program and the rest of the projects will continue to be developed until the end of the current course.
