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GRPA calls for male participation in family planning
Executive Director of GRPA, Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth
By Nicholas Peters
In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, Executive Director of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association, (GRPA) Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, affirmed the necessity for men to realise the importance of family planning.
According to Bisnauth, while the organization has made strides in advocating in matters concerning sexual reproductive health, its biggest challenge to date remains the active participation of men in family planning.
The director noted that ever since its establishment in 1973, the GRPA, which is located at 70 Quamina Street, South Cummingsburg Georgetown has been constricted by notions that its services only cater to females.
However, according to Bisnauth, the objectives of this agency are to educate persons of all sexes about sexual/reproductive health and rights. Family planning refers to practices which control the number of children an individual has, otherwise known as contraception.
With regard to family planning, the Executive Director also detailed the various services the agency provides, including treatment for reproductive cancers such as those of the cervix, breast and prostate, the latter most common type among men.
The agency aims to increase the involvement of men in family planning, as in the words of Bisnauth, “the lack of family planning can have effects that last a lifetime”.
Bisnauth estimates that on average the agency receives about 400 clients a month with approximately 90% of those being women.
From her experience, she said was surprised to find that men “in this day and age” do not want women to have a family plan. She cites that this, along with the lack of education in reproductive health and rights, as being the reason for Guyana having the second highest rate of adolescent pregnancy in the Caribbean and South America, with 97 out of every 1,000 girl between the ages of 15 and 19 affected .
According to Bisnauth, family planning prevalence in Guyana is 43 percent. By many standards this is considered to be a low which is another reason that the agency is “gearing up” to counsel adolescent teenagers, in a family planning initiative that is targeted at reaching communities unable to properly access facilities such as the GRPA.
On the topic of men and reproductive health, the official advocated that “they [men] must participate [in family planning] with their partners,” adding that in order for the agency’s initiatives to be successful men and women need to work to ensure a safe lifestyle.
Bisnauth further remarked that the agency has indeed made provisions in tackling men’s issues with regard to family planning as they have a men’s group which directly addresses male reproductive issues.
The Executive Director also commented on how Guyanese society views sex. She acknowledged that the issue of sexual and reproductive health is still taboo in many parts of the country. “In order for Guyanese to have a healthier attitude to sex,” Bisnauth elaborated, “we need to be able to talk about this topic. A topic that is essential to life.” Bisnauth stressed that the GRPA is working to educate men and women so that they understand that everyone has the right to “a safe and satisfying sex life as it leads to better and healthier citizenship.”
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