Govt must invest in teen sex education

SEX education for teenagers and youths in Zimbabwe has been limited to abstinence, shying away from the reality that some teenagers, because of the changing times and globalisation, are sexually active at a very tender age making them susceptible to unwanted pregnancies, which result in them dropping out of school or marrying early.

In Zimbabwe and most African countries, sex or reproductive education is only introduced at the secondary and tertiary levels and the way such information is packaged leaves a lot to be desired, as despite this education, cases of abortion and unwanted pregnancy still remain high.

Given such a scenario, there is a need for organisations working in the area of sexual reproductive health and the government through respective ministries to package sexual reproductive health messages in a friendly manner which generates excitement among the youths.

There is also need for government and stakeholders to invest, especially in youth behaviour before conducting education to avoid emphasising on abstinence to a group that is sexually active.

Proper education on the use of contraceptives should be imparted to all women to equip them with fundamental education.

A study by National Teenage Fertility revealed that Zimbabwe had the highest teenage fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa yet most of the youths in the rural areas have little knowledge of modern-day contraceptive methods.

As a nation we still have a long way to go in educating the younger generation about their sexual and reproductive health rights.

This does not only help in reducing teenage and unwanted pregnancies, but also helps to contain HIV and Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases and more importantly, unsafe abortions.

Women’s rights will not be fully realised if contraceptives are not readily available and known to all our youths regardless of their physical ability or social class.

Tarirai Tambe