Its nearly a year of relationship with the national radio station Radio Audio Pvt. Ltd. YoSHAN has been collaborating with Radio Audio’s most celebrated and cherished weekly radio program-खुलदुली.com. This September we bring you more information on the program as we are joining hands to celebrate “The Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion.”
In Nepal, youth under 25 years of age constitute more than half the population. Due to the social stigma discussing the sexuality and sexual activities of young people, misconceptions about their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) persist. Despite growing needs, youth are reluctant to seek SRHR information from institutional sources. In response, Radio Audio; a national FM station established the youth friendly radio program खुलदुली.com in 2008 to provide comprehensive SRHR information and referral to services that especially target young people. The engagement of youth with the program was assessed and the SRHR issues discussed during programs documented.
The खुलदुली.com is presented by SRHR trained radio presenter under the supervision of a qualified medical team. Youth-friendly program is promoted through social media. The content around SRHR is developed in partnership with pioneer organizations such as Marie Stopes, PSI, FPAN, YoSHAN. Data is collected on each episode, including listeners’ demographics and the content of the conversation. This information is securely stored in an online database- IVR system. Data collected from SMS by youth from January to December 2018 were analyzed to assess the level of youth engagement with the service and the nature of the SRHR information sought.
“मेरो बिचार के छ भन्दा गर्भपतन गराउँदा महिलाको नैँ बढि भुमिका हुनुपर्दछ किनभने गर्भपतन हुँदाको पिडा दुख महिलालाई नै थाहा हुन्छ त्यसैगरी यसमा पुरुषको पनि महत्वपुर्ण हात हुन्छ । र कानुनी रुपमा कति हप्ता सम्मको गर्भलाई गर्भपतन गर्न सकिन्छ भन्ने कुरा पनि बताईदिनुहोला । र महिलाले नसकेको खण्डमा पुरुषले सोधपुछ गरी कानुनी रुपमा गर्भपतन गराउन सकिन्छ होला ।”
भरत राना, रोल्पा
“गर्भ रहनमा पुरुषको मुख्य भुमिका रहेपनि महिला स्वयमले गर्भाअवस्थामा हुने पिडा तथा समस्या भोग्नुपर्ने हुन्छ । र यो महिलाको पाठेघर तथा बिभिन्न अंगसँग सम्बन्धीत हुने भएकाले गर्भवति हुन र शिशु जन्मनमा महिलाको महत्वपुर्ण भुमिका रहेको हुन्छ । यस्को अर्थ यो होईन कि पुरुषले गर्भवति बनाउने मात्र उस्को भुमीका हो । गर्भधारण देखि शिशु जन्माउन,हुर्काउन ,बढाउन,कुन उमेरमा बच्चा जन्माउने भन्ने निर्णय लिन,परिवार योजना बनाउन र जन्मान्तर कायम गर्न महिला र पुरुषको सल्लाहा हुनु अत्यावश्यक छ । यदि शिशु जन्माउन नचाहाँदा नचाहाँदै गर्भ रहन गएमा महिला स्वयमले नेपाल सरकार बाट तालिम प्राप्त डक्टरकोमा गएर सुरक्षित गर्भपतन गराउन सकिन्छ । आफु सेवा लिन गएको क्लिनिक नेपाल सरकार बाट स्विकृत हो कि होईन ,सुरक्षित गर्भपतन अङ्कीत चिन्ह छ कि छैन ? तालिम प्राप्त सेवा प्रदायक हुन कि होईनन ? भन्ने कुराको बिषयमा जान्न निकै नै आवश्यक रहेको छ । गर्भधारण देखि नौ हप्ता सम्मको भ्रुण सामान्य औशधिद्धारा पतन गर्न सकिन्छ । सुरक्षित गर्भपतन अङ्कीत स्वास्थ्य संस्थामा गएर १२ हप्ता सम्मको गर्भपतन गराउन सकिन्छ । यदि कुनै महिलालाई जबरजस्ति करणी अथावा ईच्क्ष नहुँदा नहुँदै गर्भ रहने गएमा अथवा १८ बर्ष भन्दा तल उमेर भएकी युवती जस्लाई आफ्नो बारेमा चेतना हुँदैन उनको घरपरिवार तथा उनको अग्रजले सल्लाहा र सुजाब दिई सुरक्षित गर्भपतन केन्द्रमा लग्नु पर्दछ ।”
बिष्णु कुवाँर, स्याङ्जा
The खुलदुली.com received a total of 43,800 SMS in 2018; 80% of senders were younger than 25 years of age. The program is linked to youth-friendly helpline centre operated by Marie Stopes Nepal. 50% of callers in the helpline is referred from the radio program (MSI 2018). About 70% of the issues raised by youth were related to sexuality, such as masturbation, menstruation, wet dreams and sexual attraction. More than half (56%) of the issues raised by men were related to sexual intercourse and how they could satisfy their partners. Likewise, the SMS concerning female were mostly related to unprotected sex and use of emergency contraceptives. Approximately one in ten SMS were related to family planning, pregnancy test and about 10% were related to accessing safe abortion. Almost all the SMS seeking for services were referred to helpline for quality counseling.
“सुरक्षित गर्भपतन नेपालमा १२ हप्ता सम्म स्व ईच्क्षाले गर्न सकिन्छ र गर्भपतन चैँ हरियो पत्ता अङ्कीत तथा नेपाल सरकार बाट स्विकृति प्राप्त सरकारी अथवा प्राईभेट स्वास्थ्य सँस्थाबाट गर्न सकिन्छ । त्यसैगरी सुुरक्षित गर्भपतन चैँ मेरी स्टोप बाट पनि गराउन सकिन्छ ।”
दिप रिजाल, बालाजु
खुलदुली.com has the highest number of listener-ship as it partners with 110 local FM stations. A large number of young people are listening to the program and seeking information and services related to SRHR. The program has been providing young people to discuss their SRHR needs and clearing their doubt and myths associated to SRH. The radio program is gender friendly and provides interpersonal communication by referring to helpline with trained medical counselors.
