Time to agree on having sex education in TT

THE EDITOR: Over the past weeks, I have been closely observing the reactions and responses of Trinidad and Tobago and especially our community and national leaders to the so-called ‘Condom Giveaway’ conducted by the Advocates for Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (AYSHR) outside of the Woodbrook Government Secondary School and The National Library.

I thank the group’s detractors for having allowed me some weeks of much laugher as a result of the hypocrisy and lack of basic intelligence that they have quite openly displayed. Do we really believe that our young people are silly? And that if we give them condoms that they will all scamper off to find a partner to engage in sexual intercourse? Please, I beg of you to give young people a break and the benefit of your better judgement. Yes, although, we as parents have abdicated our roles as chief educators on sexuality, we as religious leaders run from the topic of sexuality because it seems as though it is in essence a sin to discuss it and, we as educators having completely omitted the aspects of social development and sexuality education in our students lives, our young people are trying, doing their best to deal with the extremely challenging world of sexuality in which we all live.

It is with this in mind that we as a national community should recognise where we have faltered and not throw stones at AYSHR but embrace the group’s brilliance and innovative approach which has started the ball rolling. I do hope that we do not allow our Trinidadian mentality of the nine day wonder to let this topic die a sweet soft death. Instead, I wish that we heed AYSHR’s call and continue to struggle and lobby the government and those in critical decision making positions to implement Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) with solid components dealing with sex, sexuality and sexual and reproductive health. So grow up my lovely TnT and say thanks to AYSHR for taking the giant step forward for young people in this country and, as good shepherds let us guide and protect them, our dear sheep, the youth of TT.

GABRIELLE  SCOTT
Chaguanas