LOG IN   JOIN   BLOG SEARCH   ALL DIARIES

Website Blog
Blog
Issues
Take Action
Videos
Donate
About
Youth Resources
My Sistahs
Advocates For Youth
 
Blog - Amplify your voice

Monday, December 1, 2008 at 9:57:00 AM EST
Comments Add Comment
Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

As James and Mimi loves to say, giving condoms or information about sex will not make us have sex - because when we take an umbrella with us does it mean it will rain? written Jan. 28, 2008.

********************************

I believe that policy makers, academics, analysts and the ‘who’s who’ of society should be silent on societal issues as simple as condom distribution in schools if they continue to live in the past and fail to accept the paradigm shift.

While it is true that the case of children having sex is not reason enough to distribute condoms in our schools, it gives us no authority to judge a society as unethical, lacking in morals and unchristian-like.

The stories and sermons of an abstinence-only approach is a principle, those who are most vocal about not making condoms accessible in schools would have been taught from the time they were conceived. In those days abstinence talk went as far as driving fear in children that the opposite sex is bad company. Without realizing, we began to cultivate an unhealthy society which we must now come to terms with.

Simultaneously, while this was being taught, girls were still dropping out of school because of early and unintended pregnancy. Has abstinence-only education had any success to date? Of course not! Today, high school girls are still dropping out of school or are ‘lucky’ enough to graduate with a baby on the way. To make it worse, teenagers are now contracting sexually transmitted infections- including HIV which was the leading cause of death amongst Jamaicans 10-24 in 2004.

The manner in which we have all uttered our disgust of the idea and double standard is appalling. The persons who now speak so furiously are the same persons who have been granting access to foreigners into our schools to distribute condoms and dental dams, show us how to use them and educate us on HIV/AIDS and other STIs. Not one was so vocal on this. Is this not the same principle of the compromise of morals that we speak of?

How are we, as influencers and change makers to help, if we continue to confuse those we want to assist?

If we are so opposed to condoms being accessible in schools, let us first reduce open access to condoms. There is no advocacy by these people to prohibit the shop on the corner, or the big store in town from selling ‘early sexers’ packs of condoms. But, why should there be such advocacy when the sale is beneficial to us or them rather? Do we even realize that this is the same injection of compromise on the morals we were taught?

Let the change begin with you. Before you become so vocal on the issue commit yourself to dismiss children who purchase a condom from your store, even if it is for mommy and daddy that you know. Let us scold children who we see purchase condoms. Let us call upon the Broadcasting Commission to ban the showing of lewd sexual content on our local TV between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and, in the same breath reduce the advertising sales dollars that newspaper receive from publishing contact details on ‘massage parlors’.

The time for action is NOW. Whether we make condoms accessible in schools or not these adolescents and youth will continue to have high risk unprotected sex. The measurable outcome of this activity to date is an over populated country where large numbers of children are being born in poor living conditions and without proper parenting, a society riddled with socials ills and the face of HIV/AIDS continuing to be that of a young Jamaican 10 – 24 years.

It is better we give them the option to make the informed decision about abstaining, using a condom, any other relevant contraceptive method or jut being faithful.

Make condoms accessible in schools! It will save many lives and dollars.

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This
Comments