Comprehensive Sex Education: Breaking Barriers Related to the Deaf Community – IFMSA-Brazil

Name of the activity: Comprehensive Sex Education: Breaking Barriers Related to the Deaf Community

Country/NMO: IFMSA-Brazil

Program: HIV, AIDS and other STIs

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: First-time Activity

Category: Education

Focus area: Prevention of all STIs or are specific STIs, STI testing

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good health and Well-Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education)

Problem statement:

As the National Health Policy for Persons with Disabilities guarantees in Brazil, full and adapted access to health, whether educationally or preventively or in the form of care, is a full right and must be charged. As in society in general, in the deaf community, topics such as sex and prevention of STIs are subjects considered taboo. This stigma is originated especially as a result of the unsatisfactory sex education being carried out for this audience.

Target groups:

• People with disabilities

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Medical students
• People with disabilities

Objectives:

1. Promote comprehensive and integrative sexual education for men and women who are part of the deaf community of Parnaíba – PI.
2. Empower the deaf community in Parnaiba on the topic of sexual education, so that they develop autonomy in self-care;
3. Train the deaf community in Parnaíba with regard to anatomical and physiological knowledge of the female and male reproductive systems;
4. Stimulate the knowledge of the target audience about the main STIs, addressing their pathological mechanisms and forms of prevention and health promotion, with a methodology adapted to the deaf;
5. Introduce the deaf to the main contraceptive methods, with the aim of alleviating the incidence of STIs, unwanted pregnancies and family planning;
6. Debate with deaf women in Parnaíba the importance of female empowerment;
7. Debate with deaf men from Parnaíba about toxic masculinity;
8. Discuss with deaf people in Parnaíba the characteristics of an abusive relationship and sexual orientation varieties.

Indicators of Success:

2. 75% of the deaf community in Parnaiba are able to understand about autonomy in self-care, by receiving correct information about the topic of sexual education;
3. The deaf community in Parnaíba manages to acquire anatomical and physiological knowledge about the female and male reproductive systems;
4. The target audience is able to understand about the main STIs, through the teaching methodology adapted to the deaf;
5. The target audience is able to understand about contraceptive methods, enabling the long-term alleviation of the incidence of STIs, unwanted pregnancies and family planning;
6. Deaf women of Parnaíba are able to understand the importance of female empowerment;
7. Deaf men of Parnaíba are able to understand about toxic masculinity;
8. Deaf people of Parnaíba are able to understand the characteristics of an abusive relationship and varieties of sexual orientation.

Methodology:

The project is carried out through 5 thematic meetings with the deaf community of Parnaíba, in 2021, after the regulation of the return to presencial activities. In the first of these, the anatomy and physiology of the female and male reproductive system is addressed, using substations, conversation wheels and problem situations adapted to the public. In a second meeting, contraceptive methods are discussed, their importance, as well as the pregnancy process, family planning, introduction to STIs. In a third meeting, the main STIs are discussed in greater depth, as well as their clinical manifestations and form of prevention. The fourth meeting discusses female empowerment, toxic masculinity and aspects inherent to this theme, through conversation circles, encouraging the exchange of experiences. In a fifth and final meeting, there is a health screening with the participants, in addition to rapid tests for Syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis B and distribution of male and female condoms.

Plans for evaluation:

To assess the impact of this activity on the target audience, it is intended to carry out a semi-structured, qualitative and adapted interview. In addition, at the end of each meeting, some situations are presented to the participants about the topic addressed, with the aim of evaluating the knowledge passed on on the respective day.

External collaborations:

Partners include the Academic League of LIBRAS Médicas do Piauí (LALIMPI), NGO Hellen Keller, Íris Oliveira (LIBRAS Interpreter and IESVAP collaborator) and Profa Clesivane (professor of Medical LIBRAS at IESVAP, since 2016, professor coordinator of LALIMPI and founder of the NGO Hellen Keller).The deaf community in Parnaíba was contacted through a partnership with the NGO Hellen Keller.