Sexuality and sex education empowers youths in HIV/Aids campaign

THE Editor: Having just attended the first Caribbean Children’s Summit on HIV/AIDS which was hosted in Barbados by UNICEF, it was very clear that our young people are in need of sex and reproductive health education. There were over 60 ten - 16-year-olds gathered for three days representing most islands of the region and although there was an overwhelming abstinence message being promoted, when it came to open discussion on the transmission of the virus and preventative measures the young delegates were asking numerous questions on sex, sexuality, relationships in terms of peers and also in terms of with their parents and teachers whom they felt took them for fools and didn’t respect their rights to proper information on all the related issues. 

Education and related support services are key for the reduction of this deadly virus and we are short changing our young people terribly in believing that they are too young and naive to know about sex and sexuality or that by discussing these issues it will encourage promiscuity. Education is power and where people are empowered they tend to make better decisions. Lets put our phobias aside and save this and other future generations from this preventable scourge known as HIV/AIDS.

Gregory Sloane-Seale
TT Coalition for the Rights of the Child