Youth need urgent sex education � Makgato
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday May 18, 2015 17:01
Speaking at the Eastern and Southern African countries commitment dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Education, Skills and Development (MoESD) and the Ministry if Health (MoH) at Cresta Lodge in Gaborone recently, Makgato said it was evident that young people were involved in immoral sexual behaviour, and urged government to find solutions to this situation. The dialogue session touched on HIV prevention strategies, fostering positive health outcomes, advocating for access to good quality comprehensive sexuality education, and sexual and reproductive health services for young people in ESA.
She said as the youth paddle through their life course, establish relationships and take decisions about childbearing the information gained will guide them on how to remain HIV free and by so doing contribute to achieving epidemic control of HIV infection.
Makgato said the global report ‘Young People Today Ready for Tomorrow’ of July 2013, provided insight into some of the indicators that solidified the justification for the Commitment. These include, the net primary school enrolment rate stood at 87 percent for both boys and girls, and Saharan Africa has the highest dropout rates of 17percent.
She also said in the ESA region 34percent of women aged between 20 to 24 years old were married by the age of 18. Makgato added that medical complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth were the leading cause of death for girls aged between and 19.
“In the case of Botswana, the BAIS IV (2013) has shown that knowledge of HIV among young people is low at 47.9percent whilst prevalence rate is at five percent for the 15 to 19 year group and increases to 10.3 percent for the 20 to 24years.
“In the same survey it indicated that 4.4 percent of 15 to 24 years had sexual intercourse before the age of 15years, 15.8percent aged 15to 49 years had multiple concurrent partners whilst condom use was at 65.2 percent,” she said.
Makgato further said these are alarming statistics and there is need to urgently intervene to realise the vision of an HIV free generation. She also said the MoESD also conducted the first Botswana Youth Risk Behavioural Surveillance Survey among in-school youth (BYRBSS, 2012) which revealed that 19.1percent of school going youth are sexually active by age 13.
The same study also indicated that 9.4 percent were mothers while 8.9percent of boys reported having impregnated someone.
Makgato stated that the Education Statistics Brief (ESB, 2012) had revealed that 747 of young girls dropped from school due to pregnancy, and this cuts across all classes from form one to five.