Reproductive health on the Burmese border

Cari Sietstra and Kerry Howley have a great conversation up at bloggingheads about reproductive health on the Burma/Thailand border. Here’s a brief segment about the impact of Burma’s abortion ban:

(Click here to watch the whole conversation.)

Cari works with an awesome organization called the Adolescent Reproductive Health Network (ARHN), which recently put out a report that reveals just how little health professionals around the world know about the reproductive health situation in Burma and in conflict zones. In a survey of 400 adolescents who fled violence in Burma and are living in Thailand, ARHN found:

a) knowledge of sexual health and anatomy are very low among adolescents from Burma’s conflict zones;

b) cursory knowledge of condoms and birth control pills is widespread (more than half of teens know of them) but use of family planning and safer sex techniques is incredibly low;

c) the estimated rate of STI’s in this population is 7%;

d) both young men and women report high levels of acceptance of gender based violence and male authority over women’s reproductive choices: more than half of young men and a third of young surveyed believe that women sometimes deserve to be beaten; more than half of young men think that husbands shoud determine whether or not wives use birth control.

ARHN works to educate teens about sex and reproductive health. To support their work, visit their Facebook causes page. If you’re in New York, you can also attend an event (info after the jump) on Thursday.

Invisible Lives
powerHouse Books, Brooklyn, NY
Thursday, June 18, 6-8pm

Please join us for a book and photo show featuring incredible images
of Burmese refugees and migrants who have fled the war zone of eastern
Burma for lives in Thailand. The show, “Invisible Lives,” will raise
money for Burmese community groups that provide reproductive healthcare
and education to migrant teens along the Thai/Burma border. Freewill donations gladly accepted at the door. Wine and Burmese
snacks will be served.

To read more about the photo book “Invisible Lives” or to order a copy, click here.