Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health Education 2016 10. THEMATIC ANALYSIS 10.1 Societal perception and religious sensitivity about reproductive health education From the FGDs it was observed that topics such as SRH have always been ‘taboo’ within the Maldivian society. From the discussions it was gathered that people refrained from talking about SRH believing that such discussions were western ideologies which were aimed at changing their Islamic way of life. In one of the FGs it was discussed that even today there are those within the community who firmly believe that family planning and the use of contraceptives are a western ideology aimed to limit the size of the Muslim population.45 There are groups of people who regard contraception as ‘haram’ (forbidden) without understanding the Islamic stands on such issues. In one such instance some of the participants stated that the population of children in their islands had declined over the years due to the abundance of birth control facilities and linked this to the diminishing number of students studying in the lower grades of the schools. Many participants stated that societal perceptions influenced beliefs to such an extent that most people would not even talk to their partners about such issues, let alone discuss with their family members. Thus, the question of parents educating and giving information to their children on SRH was incomprehensible, especially among strict religious groups. Majority of the participants stated that there are people who shy away from going to a doctor and seek medical attention for SRH issues. These participants also mentioned 45 Focus Group discussions held with Parents. 56 THEMATIC ANALYSIS