title: The church's response to sexual reproductive health issues among youths: Jamaica's experience.
abstract: This study evaluated the response of religious denominations to sexual reproductive health issues among youths using a close-ended, structured, 32-item questionnaire and an interview. The majority (71% men, 71% women) of the respondents attended church regularly; were unmarried (92% men, 83% women); were sexually active (71% men, 45% women); used drugs (65% men, 62% women). The majority of the respondents (46% men, 63% women) were reprimanded and/or ostracized by the Church. The findings suggest that issues encompassing sexuality and drugs among youth do not resonate well with the conventional religious practice of the Church, hence a significant incidence of ostracism and the likelihood of premarital sex and drug use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of West Indies, Mona Campus, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica. crawfordtazhmoye@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Tazhmoye V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rawlins
authors.forename: Donovan A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: McGrowder
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002835:Christianity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007563:Jamaica; D008297:Male; D012071:Religion and Sex; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult