Abstinence is an inadequate solution

THE EDITOR: In response to your editorial of Saturday May 10, 2003, “Menace of safe sex”, I submit that your view, while valid and representative of a number of persons, may be as unfounded in the current societal context as you think the joker’s is.

I myself have not done any widespread research, and cannot be considered an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but based on information quoted via electronic and print TT media, anyone who thinks that they should stick solely, and I emphasise, solely to abstinence as the means for curbing sexual disease transmission, is in danger of implementing an inadequate solution. Your argument that “handing out condoms is an invitation to increased promiscuity” may be relevant, but where’s your proof? The experts who’ve spoken on this within the last year suggest that there is already a high level of promiscuity within our school children. Your article would have more balance if it showed evidence to prove or disprove the experts’ conclusions. If this is disproved, then to remove the distribution of condoms as an option one has to show that it has significantly increased the level of promiscuity amongst those who received it, thereby acting against the goal of reduced transmission of sexual disease (and unwanted early pregnancies). A difficult task.

However, if our children are already promiscuous, then the solution to be applied cannot be the (failing?) advice of abstinence alone, since this advice is only appropriate to persons who haven’t become determined to continue their already active sex life. For these persons, advice on abstinence is like an ounce of prevention that won’t help. They need a cure, and medically-approved contraceptive devices may help. It may seem “barbaric” because one cannot marry their perception of innocent, school-aged children being involved in this human behaviour. However, now may not be the time to continue to try to close the door to the barn. The horse has already bolted. I submit then that the solution involves a mix of parental responsibility, and advice on all options available including abstinence and contraceptives. It is suggested that the level of poor discipline amongst school children may be due to lack of parental guidance. Are these the same parents you hope would be teaching their children about responsible sexual behaviour?

It would be interesting if some medical research folks could publish reliable statistics on the level of sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancies within school-aged children of TT, and also statistics and general info on the related knowledge of children of this age group (such as when they became sexually active, their sources of information, their knowledge of contraceptive methods and risks, etc). This would make discussion more fruitful, focused and less prone to purely emotional decisions. However, based on the info I have to date, the solutions used so far are inadequate due to mismatched ad campaigns and education drives, and myopic views of policy makers. I cannot believe that most of our children are incapable of understanding what risks they face and determining what is right and wrong. These same children can understand algebra and science. So if employing the same communication methods throughout the years has not resulted in an expected change in behaviour, then we should review these methods and the persons who continue to employ them.

EDMUND  NIGEL  GALL
Hatfield
Herfordshire, UK