Males are heading to the Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA) to safeguard their sexual health.
It is against this background that BFPA president Reverend Ruth Phillips is encouraging people, especially men, to be more vocal about sexual reproductive health among the population.
During 2017, the association conducted 76 344 services, which Phillips said was a 90 per cent increase over the previous year.
She also said there was a 27 per cent increase last year in the number of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) services conducted in comparison with 2016.
“There was also an increase in services accessed by males, which bettered 2016 by 23 per cent, and as a total quality care clinic for men which provides, but is not limited to, prostate screenings, vasectomies and treatments of erectile dysfunction. Bet you never heard those words in church.
Men more comfortable
“It is a taboo subject that we try to avoid in church and we shouldn’t. It is something that we should discuss more often. So many men have become comfortable with our convenient times and male-friendly service that we are now their sole health care provider,” said Phillips, who was speaking recently during celebration of BFPA’s 64th anniversary at the Sanctuary Empowerment Centre.
Phillips also highlighted success in the agency’s adolescent young mothers programme and the schools programme, through which the BFPA has engaged over 6300 young men and women.
Borrowing space
Because of a fire in April, the BFPA was displaced from its Bay Street, St Michael offices, a problem further compounded by another fire on May 25.
“So after all of the industrial cleaning and preparing to go back home there was another fire, so the Ministry of Health said we can’t go back into the building. so we are still borrowing space,” she added.
The BFPA operates three days a week at the nearby Winston Scott Polyclinic. (TG)
