Family Life Education Project seeks to bring down illegitimate births, teen-age pregnancies and STD
Kondo, A.
Population Education in Asia and the Pacific Newsletter 36: 22-23
1992
PMID: 12285907 Document Number: 323037
Levels of teen pregnancy, illegitimate birth, sexually transmitted disease (STD), rape, wife-bashing, abandonment and abuse, abortion, school dropout, divorce, and drug abuse are on the rise in Fiji. 13.4% of 7,093 births to 7,093 mothers over the period January 1982-June 1983 were to mothers under age 19, of which 46.7% of the babies were illegitimate. 4% of all mothers harbored STD. Talks held by the Ministry of Education eventually led to the development and implementation of the Family Life Education Project in July 1985. The project's longterm goals are to reduce the incidence of adolescent pregnancy, unwanted births, STDs, and psychological stress. To attain these goals, family life education was incorporated in the curricula of 104 of 141 of the country's secondary schools. This core course was designed to change teen attitudes and behaviors relating to family life, population issues, and family planning, and was implemented with broad parental and community support. Anecdotal evidence suggests program success.