Paulina Quintao – The Deputy Program Manager of Marie Stopes International Timor-Leste (MSITL), Juliao da Silva, said the MSITL team has been raising awareness to students in basic and secondary schools across Dili about the importance of reproductive and sexual health.
He said reproductive and sexual health are very important topics so that everyone especially the youths can make positive decisions in their lives because too often there are unwanted pregnancies and there has been a rise in the number of unsafe abortions and in the cases of babies getting abandoned.
"We share information about the importance of reproductive and sexual health across the schools in Dili especially to grade 9 students up to university level," Program Manager da Silva said in his office, in Vila Verde, Dili.
He added that nowadays young girls fall pregnant early and they have no idea about reproductive health and this can impact on their future.
"Some of the fall pregnant and come to us wanting an abortion but we refuse to do so, rather we provide the with counselling and then tell them to return home," he said also.
MSITL also provides a free phone line service to youths so they can contact and ask information about the reproductive health and also about sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs).
Meanwhile Member of the National Parliament MP Eladio Faculto said this information is very important but needs to be shared sensitively so that children do not get affected.
"We should be able to look at the positives and negatives and move forward," said MP Faculto.