“Is a good ting we doh teach sex education “

Quote

“Is a good ting we doh teach sex education in schools yuh know, dat way d kids and dem go have less sex.”

Case

Keston, a 22 year old student, loves his girlfriend Sandra. He is back home after spending a year studying abroad and is very excited to see her. He has unprotected sex with her, as they always do. He never used condoms saying, “Gyul you know meh wood cyah fit in any of dem small condoms’. She doesn’t use any protection, noting that none of her friends got pregnant before using the “pullout method”.

Summary

• There is limited sexual education through schools in the Caribbean.
• Teenage pregnancy in the Caribbean remains an important public health issue.
• The pull out method is not a recommended way to prevent pregnancy.
• There are many ways to prevent pregnancy. Condoms come in many different shapes, sizes, (including magnums), are widely available and therefore an easy, effective and evidence-based method for contraception.

Discussion

Sexual education in schools in the Caribbean is often debated with some governments stating there has been increased sex awareness in recent years, while other members of the public are asking for more to be done. (1-3) At secondary school, basic anatomy is taught to students who choose subjects like biology. Apart from this, there are limited discussions by select schools.

Many people in the Caribbean believe that not talking about sex would cause more children like Sandra and Keston to abstain. However, studies have shown that:

• Keston and Sandra taught themselves about sex through popular culture (TV, internet, etc…) and conversations involving older friends because Caribbean culture deems the subject is taboo.(4)
• Teenage pregnancy rates have remained an important issue in many Caribbean islands for the past few decades. In addition, Sandra and her friends are still having sex at an early age with as many as one in six girls having sex before the age of 15 in many Caribbean islands. Further, by being pregnant as a teenager, Sandra is more likely to be single and unemployed. (5,6,8,9)
• Had Keston’s school taught sexual education involving methods other than just abstinence (not having any sex) he would have been more likely to stop the spread of HIV.(7) Through sexual education Keston would have known how the illness is spread and would be more likely to delay the first time he had sex. (6)
• Had Keston used condoms, he would have an extremely low chance (2%) of getting Sandra pregnant in the first year if he followed the instructions on how to use the condoms. However, the withdrawal method, where Keston pulls out his penis before he ejaculates (or “cums”) has the highest chance (21%) to get Sandra pregnant when compared to other methods of preventing pregnancy. (12)
• Condoms come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and textures to meet many persons needs. Websites such Link 1 and Link 2 contain information on different sized condoms based on brands. Alternatively, persons can book an appointment and talk to their doctor if they believe there is a problem with their method of contraception. Emphasis must also be placed on women like Sandra who could use hormonal methods of contraception, which are also coupled for many other health conditions.

Sexual education occurs on the Internet with a lot of it being inaccurate.(10) Therefore to commemorate World Sexual Education week, Plakebo has decided to do the research for you. Got a question about sex, sexual education or want to share an informative story or research with the rest of the Plakebo team or audience? Inbox us, comment below, email us at plakebott@gmail.com or tweet us @plakebott.

References:

(1) Sex education in schools http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Dr-Tim-Sex-education-already-in-schools-235322521.html

(2) http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,193623.htmlb

(3)http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2014-12-07/child-rights-activist-talks-sex-education-schools

(4) Plummer, David. “Has learning become taboo and is risk-taking compulsory for Caribbean boys? Researching the relationship between masculinities, education and risk.” (2013).

(5) Miller, Carmen Hutchinson. “Sex Feel Good: Enjoyment of Sexual Intercourse by Some Barbadian Teenagers.” Journal of Arts and Humanities 2.5 (2013): 74-87.

(6) Jones, Vanessa, et al. “The Effect of HIV/AIDS Education on Adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago.” ISRN Infectious Diseases 2013 (2013).

(7) Fonner, Virginia A., et al. “School based sex education and HIV prevention in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” PloS one 9.3 (2014): e89692.

(8) Rawlins, Joan M., et al. “The rate of pregnancy in Trinidad and Tobago: A comparison between pregnant teenagers and pregnant adults registered at three health centers.” International Journal of Medicine and Public Health 3.3 (2013): 129.

(9) McCaw-Binns, Affette, et al. “Adverse Consequences of Uninformed Adolescent Sex in Jamaica: From STIs to Pregnancy, Abortion and Maternal Death.” Social and Economic Studies 61.3 (2012): 145.

(10) Strasburger, Victor C., and Sarah S. Brown. “Sex education in the 21st century.”JAMA 312.2 (2014): 125-126.

(11) Figueroa, J. Peter. “Review of HIV in the Caribbean: Significant progress and outstanding challenges.” Current HIV/AIDS Reports 11.2 (2014): 158-167.

(12) Dude, Annie, et al. “Use of withdrawal and unintended pregnancy among females 15–24 years of age.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 122.3 (2013): 595-600.