The Title X family planning program has renewed its efforts to reach out to males, testing a variety of approaches to including men in reproductive health promotion. But there is lack of consensus about what reproductive health services for young men should look like and how they should be delivered. During the past two years, a working group of experts drawn from adolescent medicine, reproductive health and family planning, public health, community organization, and youth development have been working to address these issues. Together this group has articulated five reproductive health goals for young men that programs should address: 1) Promote sexual health and development, 2) promote healthy intimate relationships, sexual and non-sexual, 3) prevent and control STDs, including HIV, 4) prevent unintended pregnancy, and 5) promote responsible fatherhood. The potential content and mechanisms (educational, counseling, clinical and supportive services) to achieve each of these five goals have been laid out by the advisory group. To provide access to a full range of reproductive health resources for young men, most organizations will need to reach out into their communities and create linkages with organizations that specialize in different areas of reproductive health or in service delivery to young men. We suggest strategies for this type of organizational collaboration, particularly through collaboration of existing health service providers and community-based organizations with a history of serving young men. Potential funding sources for these efforts are identified.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1. Articulate a range of reproductive health goals for young men. 2. Describe mechanisms for delivering services necessary to achieving these goals. 3. Enumerate strategies for agency collaboration and fund raising to enhance reproductive health services for young men
Keywords: Male Reproductive Health, Adolescent Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.