Bangalore: The Family Planning Association of India on Tuesday conducted a programme to sensitise teachers about adolescent sex education.

The organisation is setting up a Youth Friendly Services Clinic, which will cater to adolescent health, counselling and reproductive health.

They also have a panel of gynaecologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians, dermatologists and counsellors who will provide the services required. The adolescent health clinic will not only give health assistance but also will provide emotional and psychological help.

Addressing a gathering of government and marginalised schoolteachers, Sheela Mane, former president of Bangalore Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and member of FPA, said: "We hope to improve awareness by targeting teachers as they are easily approachable by students. By educating them, we are educating the students."

The FPA hopes to involve parents in further programmes to improve adolescent awareness.

Rekha G., manager of the Bangalore branch, stressed the need to educate youth and give them the right information and remove their myths and misconceptions.

"The services will be very cost effective and confidentiality will be maintained," she added.

Lucy Kumar of Samvada, an non-government organisation, spoke on child sexual abuse.

Ms. Kumar discussed eve teasing, molestation and rape cases among children and said that 75 per cent of abusers were known to the children and 55 per cent of them were family members.

"Awareness is the only way to combat such cases and educating the child can even prevent abuse to a certain extent. But there are no strong legislation against child sexual abuse and the ones that exist are ineffective," she said.

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