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TWO recent articles, 'Teen sex infections likely to hit new high', April 6, and 'Rise in STIs among teenagers', April 10, reiterate the need to reach out to this at-risk section of the population with comprehensive sexuality education programmes that address the needs of increasingly younger sexually active teenagers in a rapidly changing socio-cultural context.
Holistic sexuality education programmes that mention abstinence, but don't advocate it, acknowledge that many teenagers will become sexually active. Such programmes give young people opportunities to explore and assess their attitudes and values with respect to sex, focus on communication and inter-personal skills to facilitate positive, non-coercive intimate relationships, and encourage responsibility in decisions concerning sexual health.
Programmes such as those offered by leading women's advocacy group Aware seek to build self-esteem, promote healthy body image, encourage reflection on individual needs and wants, and provide reliable information on the importance of safe sex. Given that all sexually active teenagers who are ill-informed or misinformed about the practice of safe sex are putting themselves and their partners at risk, the importance of such programmes cannot be stressed enough.
Mathangi Kumar (Ms)
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