Sex education programs for young people and adolescents are far from unanimous. Detractors accuse this type of initiative as a catalyst for juvenile delinquency when in reality sex education is essential to equip young people with techniques for preventing STIs and reducing unwanted pregnancies.
Sex education for young people and adolescents faces obstacles attributable to customs and morals. (Photo: Ndakira).
In general, the perpetrators of school pregnancies take advantage of the young girl’s socio-economic situation. Sex predators often target easy prey (young students, orphans or girls from disadvantaged families. From a simple friendship, the situation evolves with the exchange of small gifts, support for schooling. In the end, the daughter finds herself in the maternity ward in full labor.
According to a UNFPA study, other causes of unwanted pregnancies are naivety, thoughtlessness and the young age of girls who allow themselves to be influenced or abused. This is the case of boys who ask their girlfriends to prove their love for them by having sex. The girls fall into the trap with all the consequences that entails. “ The student/schoolgirl mother’s life changes the day they learn they are pregnant. The victims live in permanent stress. They are kicked out of school and sometimes from home. Worse still, they become objects of mockery in society », we learn from the study. After pregnancycSingle mothers ill-prepared to parent are left to fend for themselves. They are wrongly considered women and not children regardless of their age.
Customs and morals, a pretext
Sex education for young people and adolescents faces obstacles attributable to customs and morals handed down by tradition. Parents tend to promote abstinence among young adolescents. They insist that young girls should not have sex before marriage. Unfortunately, it is clear that in practice, sexuality before marriage is becoming commonplace, especially among adolescents. This particularly exposes young girls to all dangers. Lack of information and social expectations regarding sex education often lead to negative experiences. Hence Burundian morals hinder the sexual education of adolescents. These make sexuality a taboo subject.
In the past, sex education was carried out from generation to generation through the transmission of social norms. In the Burundian tradition, each child is educated in the image of the parent of the same sex. The mother is largely responsible for the daughter’s sex education and the father is responsible for that of the son. Sometimes, the shyness of conversations between parents and adolescents about sexuality calls for the intervention of other members of the family in the broad sense to ensure this educational role. So the girl went to her aunt’s school and the boy to his uncle who would give them advice on marriage, family life and romantic relationships. This no longer has any place in modern society characterized by the increase in cases of incest, rape, polygamy, pedophilia, etc. In short, young people often lack reference and adopt reckless behavior.
Clinics friendly to disparaged young people
Voices are being raised against the program to set up youth-friendly health centers. Critics of this program argue that it goes against Rundi culture. It would in some way violate our customs and morals. Others claim that this type of program prepares young people for responsible management of their sexuality by avoiding unwanted pregnancies and STIs.
Sex education for young people and adolescents contributes to the reduction of unwanted pregnancies in schools, confides a healthcare provider on condition of anonymity. Our interlocutor affirms that if young people are not informed about the changes in their body during puberty and the related risks, this has consequences on the attitude to adopt. For a girl she must learn how to manage her periods and especially the precautions to take during this period.
Risk of misinformation about sexuality
If adolescents are not well informed, there is a risk of misinformation. A medical source reveals that a young teenager was unaware that he had reached the age of sexual maturity. He was still erect and he approached his friend who explained to him that it was a sign that he had grown up and that it was by sleeping with a girl that he could relieve himself. This demonstrates how disoriented young people are during this crucial period of life.
Due to the lack of communication about sexuality, adolescents will seek information elsewhere. Young girls educate themselves through the Internet and their classmates. They consult sites, discussion forums or pages dedicated to sexuality. And worryingly, they tend to imitate what they have viewed on porn sites. You will remember the videos of girls having sex that made the rounds on social networks. This has affected children’s psychology, especially since most parents find it difficult to engage in frank dialogue with their children about sexuality.
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