There is an age-old stigma that surrounds sexual and reproductive health and rights in Jamaica. But for youth officer Fiona Francis, her work in the area is making an impact, one person at a time.

I will leave here better than I came

Francis, 28, joined the Jamaica Family Planning Association (JFPA) in 2017 as a volunteer at the Lenworth Jacobs Clinic. This was made possible through a one-year internship with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund.

“I was placed to be a youth officer, which I never had any knowledge of. Upon getting the role I knew there would be challenges. I was not happy. I wanted a place in the food and beverage industry. I thought to myself, ‘what am I doing here? This has nothing to do with my qualifications’. It was ‘baby mother’ business at the clinic, and I can’t manage the drama,” Francis said.

But Francis’ perception of JFPA quickly changed when she was introduced to its Youth Advocacy Movement (YAM) and began recruiting members from her own community to join.

“I quickly learnt new skills such as social media marketing, logistics skills and administrative skills. In fact, the only thing I can’t do is administer the vaccines. They have provided me with a lot of training here. Right now, I have a Provider Initiative Training and Counselling certificate. I am an HIV tester and counsellor. I volunteer at health fairs and special functions. I will leave here better than I came,” Francis said.

Despite the location of the Lenworth Jacobs Clinic being in a challenging area, Francis is adamant her work is to be done, and believes the youth are the vanguards for change.

Men feel entitled to their bodies

“It’s a volatile area so some clients you have to take a deep breath to deal with them as humans. I am no stranger to the ghetto. I grew up there. The young people will come, and they’ll talk openly about sex. They’ll mention multiple partners. You have to tell them choose two [barrier and hormonal contraception] to be safe, you encourage them to protect themselves,” she said.

Many young girls in the community are at risk of sexual grooming, underaged pregnancy, self-harm, and depression.

“Sometimes men may lurk after them. There is sexual grooming where men feel entitled to their bodies. A lot are just having sex. They don’t know the consequences or the sickness and potential diseases that can come as a result of unprotected sex.  Many don’t know there are options- like contraceptives. Some don’t know the dangers of multiple sex partners. The challenges are their lifestyle, poverty level, environment, and sex are often transactional to deal with economic struggles,” Francis explained.

However, she said YAM has provided a safe space for many young people to learn about, and discuss issues like consent, sexual health and rights, and sexuality to make informed choices

But there is a need for more youth volunteers and learned adults to carry the mandate of the JFPA forward.

“We need more young people and we definitely need an adult group. Teens can carry the message, but you’re likely to hear parents say, ‘I’ve been through it already’ and not listen. They also need the education YAMs have access to, so they can deal with their children, grandchildren, and educate them about sexual and reproductive health rights. For my first community intervention, a lot of kids came out and had questions to ask. Questions that needed answers. I had to get my colleagues to come and answer,” Francis said.

“There’s a lot going through these teenagers’ minds. Through YAM I have developed relationships and become their confidante, so they can call me for anything. The movement is impacting. It helped me with my life and now I can pass it down. YAM can go a long way with the right persons. Whatever we do we do it with fun and education – edutainment,” she said.