Straight Talk: The Voice of Adolescents and Youth - Occasional Paper No. 1

Straight Talk is an adolescent newspaper that focuses upon sexuality and reproductive health. The newspaper is run by an adolescent editorial board that consists of 8 part-time adolescents (4 males, 4 females) who rotate on a 3-month basis. The adolescent editorial board controls and directs the content and production of the newspaper. Straight Talk is targeted at young people aged between 14 and 25 in an attempt to keep them safe from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, through communication for better health. The newspaper is published in local languages to reach as wide an audience as possible.

From the introduction

"This occasional paper shares Straight Talk's experience of involving adolescents in an active and participatory programme. This involvement gives adolescents authority and power to make decisions. We find that if adolescents are directly involved in this way they respond with commitment, enthusiasm and determination. The background to the Straight Talk programme is described together with details of the process involved and an analysis of the collaboration."

This paper is no longer available online. Please contact the Straight Talk Foundation for more information.