Parents and Guardians need to fully support the Condoms for Teens Campaign

Everyday 20,000 girls under the age of 18 give birth, and 95 percent of these pregnancies occur in the developing world. For these young women, the results can be devastating. They not only face increased risk of maternal death and other pregnancy complications, but are less likely to remain in school, which can limit their economic and other opportunities. Of married adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, 26 percent want to avoid pregnancy, but are not accessing modern contraceptives.

In Eastern and Southern Africa, some 2.7 million people aged 15 to 24 years live with HIV, more than half of all HIV-positive young people globally with the risk of infection is higher among young girls. Back home in Kenya, every two minutes, a youth is infected with HIV from unprotected sex with the average HIV/AIDS prevalence rate standing at 3%. For sure, young people are evidently at risk from unprotected sex and this sad fact cannot be assumed any longer.

In the global debate site, www.debate.org, the question of whether to give teens condoms or not is the most answered one, with proponents for condom use leading with a massive 80% and the general point about their support is that with an increase in reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS, among adolescents, teenage pregnancies, communities must take action to protect their youth. One proven method is to provide comprehensive sexuality education along with school based programs that make condoms available to sexually active youth.

Numerous nations in the developing world have already adopted this strategy, notably South Africa with very positive results, and Kenyan parents must not appear to be any conservative to deny this campaign the much needed support to reduce adolescent mortalities from particularly HIV/AIDS. Kenyan parent’s fears are understandable, they want total control of their children’s sexual and reproductive health and rights and most have a strong feeling open introduction of their children to condoms will lead to rampant immorality. Many contend it will rubber-stamp a system failure of the society to reign in on their children to abstain.

But we need the parents and guardians to accept and adopt this global UN campaign fully and support in the HIV/AIDS Prevention strategy of Behavior Change Communication (BCC). At a time when it is frequently difficult for parents to talk with teenagers, that condom opened up avenues for us to discuss AIDS and birth control. When young people feel unconnected to home, family, and school, they may become involved in activities that put their health at risk. However, when parents affirm the value of their children, young people more often develop positive, healthy attitudes about themselves. Although most adults want youth to know about abstinence, contraception, and how to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), parents often have difficulty communicating about sex. Nevertheless, positive communication between parents and children greatly helps young people to establish individual values and to make healthy decisions.

Adolescent are not going to be given condoms to promote sex, rubberstamp ABC prevention matrix or parental failure. It is going to promote safe sex due to an extremely high rate of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies. This is a health issue; if it wasn't then there wouldn't be this launch with massive international support. It needs be clear again to parents that if schools are going to give out condoms to students, its going to be after a proper discussion about sex education and sex practices, and they are going to have a right to accept or refuse to let their children partake the preventive and contraceptive tools. By statistical evidence, teenagers engaging in unprotected sex is a public issue that cannot be thrown under the carpet. The campaign is about availability, access and use for young people so that we can protect the safe ones and prevent the already infected ones from infecting others. Sex yes is an adult topic and behavior but obviously children are ‘acting’ like adults who must be taught to behave responsibly with their sex lives.

Parents in their religious or social groups, professional workplaces and family unions must be mobilized through vigorous sensitizations to embrace this campaign as the current best amongst many strategies meant to secure the future generation of leaders, workforce and key movers of the nation. Youth writer Mary Macleod once said, ‘We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.’ Parents must shift from conservative ideas and embrace globally appreciated progressive interventions that seek to protect their children.

(The writer Chrispory Juma is a Public Health Officer and Community Mobilization Expert based in South Sudan. Email: chrispory.juma@gmail.com, Twitter: ChrisporyKer)