As a country with a very youthful population, we face a pressing need to improve education on sex and relationships.
Parents commonly avoid talking about even basic facts about sex with their children.
Government and NGO programs on family planning and prevention of STDs and AIDS can only go so far and are limited in their effect.
The result is that adolescents often fail to receive accurate knowledge about sex and social attitudes are prey to harmful taboos.
Lack of public discussion and advice on sexuality means that many young women fall pregnant when they don’t want to, and there are believed to be over half a million women suffering health complications from unsafe and illegal abortions.
Other consequences include a failure by society to acknowledge the extent of sexual abuse and to stand up to sexual violence.
The government needs to acknowledge that societal taboos condemning or denying the existence of pre-marital sex do not and cannot stop sexual activity. Health experts and educators should work with parents and community groups, including cultural and religious organisations by pointing out the harm created by the lack of proper sex education in the country.
Research shows parents’ communication about sex with their children, particularly between mothers and daughters, can hugely decrease incidents of unprotected sex, and help young girls stand up to pressures to engage in sex and marriage before they are ready.
Everyone can benefit from breaking the silence.
