NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar – Millions of young people in Myanmar are growing up in a society that is modernizing rapidly. Traditions and values are changing. And the sheer volume of information that Myanmar youth can now access online is overwhelming.
Young people need to be equipped to handle new challenges and to make informed life choices. But many young people do not have the skills to tell the difference between fact and fiction. At the same time, parents and teachers are often shy to talk about sexuality, love and health. Instead, young people repeat hearsay between friends, often perpetuating incorrect information and sometimes even harmful practices.
To help young people learn about their bodies and to adopt a healthy lifestyle, UNFPA and the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports have developed a mobile app with facts about love, sex and health from a trusted source. The mobile app for young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights is designed to give young people the confidence to make decisions that are safe, and that they will not regret.
Download the Love Question, Life Answer app
Getting the facts from a trusted source
The Love Question, Life Answer app was officially launched at an event in Nay Pyi Taw on 20 December 2017.
“What sets Love Question, Life Answer apart from so many other apps on the market today is that it comes from a trusted source. With the backing on the United Nations and the Government of Myanmar, young people can fully trust the information in the app. What’s more, parents too can trust the information their sons and daughters are accessing through this app”, said Janet Jackson, UNFPA Representative for Myanmar, at the event.
The app breaks taboos by addressing both physical and emotional topics: Safe sex and contraceptives; early marriage and unwanted pregnancy; sexually transmitted infections and HIV; puberty and menstruation; gender and body dilemmas; drug abuse and alcohol problems; and last but not least: love and relationships.
Information without embarrassment or shame
A key aspect of the app is that it allows young people to find out about sensitive issues confidentially, without embarrassment, shame or privacy concerns. It is targeted to a wide audience in both urban and rural areas. Building on years of experience from a telephone hotline dedicated to comprehensive sexuality education, the mobile app takes advantage of the evolving media landscape in Myanmar, which has brought increased internet access and more affordable smart phones.
“The questions young people have are real. And our answers need to be honest. The name of the app, Love Question, Life Answer, will tell you a great deal about how we are approaching questions about sexuality. Often the questions of young people are about love or about sex. And more often than not, the most useful answers are about life choices and about developing a healthy lifestyle”, said Janet Jackson, UNFPA Representative for Myanmar, at the event.
Love Question, Life Answer is a collaboration between UNFPA and the Ministry of Health and Sports, with support from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Welfare, and the Myanmar Medical Association.
