YESTERDAY, MEN took charge of their role in family planning and reproductive health by participating in a conference put on by the National Family Planning Board (NFPB). The conference was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, under the theme 'Who is the Leader: Your Buddy or Your Brain?'
Peter Parchment, director of policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation at the NFPB, told The Gleaner that hosting a reproductive health conference for men "is in keeping with the strategy for enhancing information and services to our very important parts of our population (which is) our males, because they have a critical role to play in terms of fertility reproduction, relationships and family planning".
As a result of this, he noted, "The issue is to include men and not to exclude them."
There were three speakers at the gathering and they presented on three different issues: 'Think Before Yuh Check', 'Check Before Yuh Tek' and 'Tek Without Fret'.
Dr. Peter Weller, counsellor at the University Health Centre, presented on the former theme. He said that many young men believe that they attain manhood by getting a girl pregnant. However, he said that being a man is more than that, "it is about responsibility and many other positive attributes."
Akeem Elliot, 16, a student at Wolmer's Boys' School, told The Gleaner that the session was "very interesting". He noted that he learnt a lot and will be imparting the knowledge to his peers.
