Communication and adolescent masculinities around unintended pregnancy

A communicational analysis of the Plan ENIA.

Abstract

The National Plan for Adolescent Unintentional Pregnancy (ENIA) is a joint strategy of the Argentine State to intervene on the problem of adolescent pregnancy. Immersed in the field of communication and health and with a masculinities approach, we carried out an analysis of different communicational supports to account for the intervention strategies on the problem. For this, we seek to account for the approach to sexual initiation, peer relationships and health promotion for men. Taking into account the guidelines of the plan, we can infer the male population is relegated to the detriment of the specific actions that women must carry out. In the graphic pieces, health promotion for men focuses on the use of condoms and on the problem of premature ejaculation at the beginning of sexual intercourse. However, comprehensive sexuality education is an essential tool to address the problems of masculinities, since through different curricular activities it is sought to unravel and problematize the device of masculinity. On the other hand, there are health consultations in schools that have the potential to intervene in areas where boys go through their daily lives, helping to bring them closer to health services. In a second stage of this investigation, we propose to contrast the analysis with the experiences and work in the Alto Valle of the Province of Río Negro in Argentina.