Grand Cayman, Tuesday, 30 May 2023–   While many people are aware that May is Child Month, the Family Resource Centre (FRC) also observes Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month annually during the month of May.

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Campaign is aimed at providing education across various platforms to empower parents and teenagers with expert advice and knowledge on Puberty, Healthy Relationships and Sex- related topics.

Age-appropriate, evidence based, comprehensive sex and sexuality education is an essential component not only in teen pregnancy prevention, but also in delaying the age of sexual initiation and empowering youth to act more responsibly when they do choose to become sexually active.

As UNESCO’s “Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE): For healthy, informed and empowered learners” reports:

 *   Sexuality education leads to learners delaying the age of sexual initiation, increasing the use of condoms and other contraceptives when they are sexually active, increasing their knowledge about their bodies and relationships, decreasing their risk-taking, and decreasing the frequency of unprotected sex.
 *   Programmes that promote abstinence as the only option have been found to be ineffective in delaying sexual initiation, reducing the frequency of sex or reducing the number of sexual partners. To achieve positive change and reduce early or unintended pregnancies, education about sexuality, reproductive health and contraception must be wide-ranging.
 *   CSE is five times more likely to be successful in preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections when it pays explicit attention to the topics of gender and power[1]

The FRC will also be hosting a “Talk Early, Talk Often” Parent Evening on June 5th at 5:30 at The Loft, Compass Media where experts will discuss topics such as puberty and mental health, child protection, community resources and more in order for parents to feel more knowledgeable about topics related to sex and puberty, in order to keep their children safe with key information. Refreshments will be provided and registration is required:

Additionally, the FRC is hosting a poster competition targeted to teenagers to creatively consider the theme “I Am Worth The Wait”.  The style, size and contents are entirely up to the young person’s creative interpretation. “The main focus of the poster should be on the reasons why the student believes that they are ‘worth the wait’ when it comes to engaging in romantic relationships and avoiding high-risk behaviours,” Ms. Amber Caum, Senior Parenting Practitioner explains.  “The FRC encourages parents to discuss their expectations with their adolescents and remind them of their family values as a protective measure in support of healthy decision-making, and this poster competition should be seen as another “conversation starter” to broach this subject,” she adds.

Students can submit an image of their creation to the FRC using the following link: https://forms.gle/3BXEmU3cZuUGhS489. The deadline for the competition has been extended to June 5th to give more young people a chance to participate.  The grand-prize is a brand new laptop for the winner.

The FRC is happy to provide parents, guardians and professionals with research and evidence-based support for these discussions, including direct assistance from one of the team’s Parenting Practitioners. For more information, email [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> or contact 949-0006.