Abstinence: Should Teachers Change The Song?
What should a teacher do if he discovers a condom packet in a student’s bag? Should the student be disciplined, sent home, or praised?
At a recent workshop in Kisumu, teachers expressed frustration that the abstinence gospel has not caught on. They reported high pregnancy rates among schoolgirls, showing that a sizeable school of students do not take safeguards.
Now they are faced with the choice of whether to continue pushing the abstinence message or condom use.
And they want a nationwide discussion about whether or not it is morally acceptable for students to bring condoms to school.
Participants stated that there was no evidence that the prohibition on condoms in schools affected sexual activity among students. A Kisumu-based education professional posed the time, “Should we not shift our focus from abstinence to safe sex in order to reach people who are sexually active?”
The numbers support their fears. According to the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, nearly half of females had experienced sexual activity by the time of 18 and more than one in ten have experienced sexual activity by the time of 15.
The survey also revealed that young males initiate sexual activity at a younger age. Six of ten by age 18 and a quarter by age 15 had experienced sexual contact.
Dr. Richard Muga, the chief executive officer of the National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development, organized the session and stated that the school should not penalize a student who brings condoms to school.
Counseling centre
“Society must be able to grasp the horns of the dilemma and accept its image in the mirror: a considerable fraction of our young is sexually active. Let us emerge and confront the truth. We must encourage dialogue among our children without correcting their ignorance “he remarked.
One of his things is to make sexual activity safe. “I propose that we establish a youth-friendly counseling centre in each district as a starting point.”
He stated that although HIV/AIDS knowledge is high, there is insufficient proof that people are taking precautions, such as visiting voluntary counseling centres.
According to the former director of medical services, the majority of VCT facilities in the province were at risk of closing due to a lack of clientele. “Since the majority of the facilities are inactive, we must halt for a moment and see if there has been any effect.”
According to a plan of action for implementing the policy on adolescent reproductive health, we will spend more than Sh3.5 billion on contraceptives and other related services for youth aged 10 to 19 this year.
“We will allocate a portion of the funds for condom distribution and advertising, and we will also use the funds to purchase pills, injectables, implants, and intrauterine contraceptive devices, among other items.”
The plan allocates approximately Sh477 million for abstinence promotion this year. The paper adopted by the government in August says that the execution of the strategy would reduce the incidence of HIV/Aids. Additionally, it would reduce the frequency of unintended pregnancies among adolescents.
The Plan of Action also aims to reduce the number of young people who participate in dangerous behavior, such as unprotected sexual activity and having several sexual partners.
Abstinence: Should Teachers Change The Song?
