Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health Education 2016 that they themselves would shy away from going to a male doctor regarding such an issue. Reason being that they believed that it was religiously unacceptable for a woman to uncover themselves in front a male, even if it was their doctor. Another frequently voiced concern was that talking about such issues or giving information about SRH would have a lot of negative impacts such as a rise in promiscuous behavior, especially among the young. Media campaigns on safe sex was highlighted, and the participants stated that through these programmes youngsters get the impression that sex with condom is not considered a sin, illegitimate or ‘ziney’ in Islamic terms. They believe that youngsters see it as a free pass to engage in sexual activity outside of marriage. While this may not be the only perpetrator as pointed out by the participants, it should be noted that increasing number of extramarital physical relations are becoming a sad reality in the small community of Maldives. Moreover, differences observed in the understanding that existed among the participants on religious aspect of the issue was astounding. While some believed that it was religiously unacceptable to talk about the topic, others believed that the best method of delivering related information was from a religious perspective. But with the availability of related information and awareness programmes as well as educated youngsters taking a leading role in promoting a healthy life, things are changing and people are starting to talk about this issue more openly. People now admit to sharing such information with their friends and seeking advice on related issues. They are also more keen on seeking medical advice from professionals instead of keeping their problems a secret. 57 THEMATIC ANALYSIS

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