Encourage minors to abstain
Published:Thursday | March 28, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Sexual intercourse should ... be left to adults ...
THE EDITOR, Sir:
TEENAGE PREGNANCY has become a topical issue again, especially in light of the recent disturbing revelation that over 60 per cent of the students in first form at a Corporate Area high school are parents.
Though not particular to Jamaica, teenage pregnancy continues to be a major challenge in part because of the lack of family values and proper education and guidance of our children about sex.
Our casual approach as a society towards sex has, in a sense, cheapened or devalued its beauty and importance, making it a mere fun exercise for all and sundry, without any real consideration or appreciation for the consequences thereof.
Dancehall and similar music forms, which explicitly and inelegantly glorify sex and vulgarity, and the prevalence of sexually graphic portrayals in other forms of entertainment have also contributed to the lack of appreciation for the importance of sex. And, of course, our children are exposed to it all to their detriment.
There continues to be that seeming taboo about providing comprehensive sex education to our children, both in our homes and wider society, leaving our children terribly uninformed or misinformed as regards matters of sex.
The notion of distributing contraceptives in schools is but a Band-Aid approach to the problem we are facing. It is certainly better for our children to protect themselves if they are sexually active; however, the real effort should be to discourage them from engaging in sexual intercourse too early, even if their bodies may want to naturally so respond, by empowering them with the necessary information and life skills.
The more guidance and education our children are provided regarding matters of sex, as it is in other situations, the greater the likelihood and their ability to make wiser and more informed decisions, such as delaying sex until they are mature enough to handle the consequences.
Sexual intercourse, of which pregnancy is a consequence even sometimes when the best efforts are made at using contraceptives, should be left to adults who are or can be put in a position to better care and provide for a child.
KEVIN K.O. SANGSTER