The Lanzarote Health Area has announced the launch of the "Youth Consultation" service for the promotion of health and affective-sexual education from a comprehensive perspective among young people and adolescents on the Island.
The new service has initially started operating at the Playa Blanca Health Center and in a classroom provided for this purpose at the IES Yaiza, where the midwife consults on Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. In addition, in the coming weeks this service will be expanded and will begin to be developed in the health centers of Valterra and Titerroy.
The Ministry of Health details that this new initiative seeks to address sexual health in the classroom while promoting values of "responsibility, equality and respect" in interpersonal and affective-sexual relationships among the students of the educational center.
The midwives consider it necessary and of interest to the Primary Care area of the Island that the young population "have a space to which they can go to resolve doubts or find support in matters of affective-sexual health from the hand of health personnel", preserving at all times "the confidentiality of the consultations". This is to avoid them obtaining "inadequate or harmful" answers when consulting information on the internet, through social networks or peers.
The "Youth Consultation" sets as priority objectives "the promotion of informed and protected sexuality to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancies." It also offers advice to young people and adolescents on their rights at the level of sexual and reproductive health, while offering them information on contraceptive methods and their proper use.
The Ministry of Health details that another purpose of this project is to educate in sexuality and affectivity based on respect and attending to affective-sexual diversity, as well as favoring the acceptance of one's own gender identity and the construction of balanced and satisfactory interpersonal relationships.
The Primary Care midwives of the Lanzarote Health Area develop a program of sexual education workshops in the institutes of the Island throughout the year for students of 1st, 2nd, 3rd of ESO and 1st of Baccalaureate.
These workshops address issues such as anatomy, the sexual cycle, hygiene, sexuality, the prevention of STDs or contraceptive methods. These concepts are complemented with content related to gender equality, the prevention of gender violence and affective-sexual diversity.
