Teaching Teens About Smart Choices: #smartchoices

Advocacy Committee of the ZONTA Club of Cebu II

The most recent activity of the Advocacy Committee of the ZONTA Club of Cebu II, was a lecture on Teen Pregnancy and Teaching Teens About Responsible Sexuality for the Teen-age scholars of the Redemptorist Congregation by no less than our OB_GYN Specialist-member, Dr. Ma. Asuncion “Chona” Tremedal on August 6, 2019 at the Redemptorist Learning Center.  This was coordinated by the Club’s PP, Dr. Vivien Seno. There were 102 teens registered and a few guests including Zontians, Residents and Interns.

Dr. Tremedal showed video clips of teenage situations that would lead to pregnancy and teenage marriage or union.  Other than unplanned pregnancy and its complications, vulvar and vaginal infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and even drug addiction may happen.  All throughout, everyone was attentive.  The lecture and video clips were really a food for thought for all the participants.

This was followed by a workshop wherein the participants, grouped into five, were to make a poster each of how they would want to see themselves five to 10 years after.

The posters made by each group had one and the same message: they want to earn a degree and have a better life in the future. This prompted Dr. Tremedal and the group to make the title of the module for the lectures on the ZONTA Advocacy of “No To Teen-age Marriage” and “No To Teenage Pregnancy” to be, “Teaching Teens About Smart Choices:  #smartchoices”

Outright saying no to children or teens about anything may turn them off, instead, laying down possibilities and consequences of whatever actions they do may be a better way to convey the message.

Thus, “Teaching Teens About Smart Choices: #smart choices”, is ZONTA Club of Cebu II’s way to do it.