NFPB Celebrating Family Week

The National Family Planning Board (NFPB) is celebrating ‘Family Week’ with a series of activities focused on family life, and sexual and reproductive health.

Addressing a JIS Think Tank on October 29, Director of Prevention and Outreach at the NFPB, Marion Scott, said the week, from October 26-31, is being observed under the theme: ‘Time to Talk’.

“We want persons to talk about safer sexual practices; contraceptive choices and condom use.  We want to promote HIV testing among everyone (and) we want to talk to children about sex.  The aim is to engage the most vulnerable about reproductive health so we can bring back family values and family life,” Ms. Scott said.

“Stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV and against marginalized groups are also important issues, which will be discussed,” she noted.

Coordinator of the Greater Involvement of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (GIPA) Unit at the NFPB, Ainsley Reid, said emphasis will be placed on two very important groups – persons living with HIV/AIDS and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

“At the unit, we have to do a lot of anti-stigma work. The issue of stigma and discrimination will always come up because of how people think about people living with HIV and how people think about HIV itself,” he said.

The highlight of the week will be health fair scheduled for Friday, October 31, at the open lot in Cross Roads, Kingston, starting at 8:00 am.  The NFPB will partner with organisations such as the Heart Foundation, Diabetes Association of Jamaica, National Health Fund (NHF), Lions Club of Kingston; and the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) to offer free health services.

Members of the public will be able to access free HIV and syphilis testing, contraceptive counselling, parenting sessions, and other health services.

Another major activity will be a National School Debate, which will be held at Neville Hall Lecture Theatre at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona on Thursday, October 30.  Students at the secondary and tertiary levels will debate the moot: ‘Should sexual active young people have access to contraceptives’.

On April 1, 2013 the National HIV/STI Programme (NHP) was integrated into the NFPB, thereby creating a single sexual reproductive health authority.