Age appropriate sexual and reproductive health education needs to
taught in schools to combat the increasing “sexual health illnesses” in
the Maldives, according to the Centre for Community Health and Disease
Control (CCHDC).
CCHDC’s Public Health Programme Coordinator Nazeera Nazeeb revealed
that studies have found high risk behaviors young people - including
“unprotected sex,
drug and alcohol abuse,
homosexuality and
prostitution” – are putting them at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV risk.
During a rapid situation assessment of drug abuse in Maldives in 2003
conducted by the Narcotics Control Board it was found that as many as
75 percent of youth surveyed have had reported having at least one
sexual experience by age 21. In 2005, a similar outcome was derived in a
Youth Ministry survey, which showed that 14 percent of males and five
percent of females under the legal age of 18, admitted to being sexually
active.
In both of the unpublished surveys many adolescents and youth
reported their sexual encounters were “without condom use”, the basic
defense against sexually transmitted diseases (STI), HIV and
unwanted pregnancies.
Meanwhile, in 2008
Biological and Behavioral Survey (BBS)
conducted among the five most-at-risk groups – including seafarers, men
having sex with men, adolescent youths commercial sex workers, and
injecting drug users - further highlighted the
magnitude of vulnerability these group face.
The report noted that unprotected sex with multiple partners is
prevalent among these high risk groups and that the sharing of
unsteriled needle and syringes is common among drug users. This study
also found risky behaviors among the 15-17 year olds and the older
youth, including buying and selling of sex for money often to finance
drug use habits, sex with non-regular partners, pre-marital sex, group
sex and injecting drugs.
The first anticipated outcome of these high risk behaviors were
recorded
in a report releases by CCHDC in 2011, which states 18 HIV positive
cases were detected and over 400 cases of STIs in 2010, of which 97
percent cases involved women.
Detected STIs included chlamydia and gonorrhea – both conditions that can cause infertility if left untreated.
In addition to the heightening figures on sexually transmitted
diseases, Najeeb leading the reproductive health unit of CCHDC said
that the centre is witnessing an alarming increase in cases of underage
and unplanned pregnancies where some girls are getting pregnant “without
even knowing it”.
“These unwanted pregnancies are subsequently resulting in more unsafe abortions, baby dumping or infanticide,” she noted.
During the five year anniversary of IGMH’sFamily Protection Unit
(FPU) in 2010, the hospital officials revealed that a total of 121
unmarried pregnancies were reported to the unit involving several women
and girls as young as 14.
Unless it is proved that the conception is the result of rape or that
the pregnancy is a threat to the mother’s health, these mothers do not
have the legal right to abortion and are forced to take
extreme measures due to the stigma of having a child out of marriage.
Speaking about the figures at the time, leading gynecologist at IGMH
Dr Aseel Jaleel acknowledged that in such cases pregnant mothers often
attempt self-induced abortions, which pose great risks to the mother’s
life and pose potential fertility problems later in life.
He reported that two women had died that year from unsafe abortions.
Meanwhile, Najeeb adds: “Not just that, sexual violence committed
against girls such as sexual abuse and rapes, remain at alarmingly high
levels. “In most cases, abused girls did not even know what happened
them, because no one talks to them about it.”
FPU reported that the centre received 42 cases of rape over the five
years, of which over half involved minors. Authorities observe that
several more cases are likely to be under reported from the Male and
especially from the islands which accommodate two thirds of the
Maldives’ 350,000 population.
Furthermore it found high rates of alcohol consumption (6.7 percent)
and life time drug use (5.7 percent) while, almost 20 percent of
students surveyed reported having suicidal tendencies.
FPU had reported that in cases of rape and abuse, victims often
attempt suicide or suffer grave emotional trauma and found an evident
connection between substance abuse and gender based violence.
Despite these eye-opening findings and anecdotal evidence on sexual
health problems, Najeeb said that many parents feel reluctant to talk to
their children about sex and drugs, while the current school curriculum
provides little to no information about reproductive health, leaving
adolescents and youth unguarded and vulnerable.
In an effort to provide such information, she said that Life Skill
Education (LSE) program and the Youth Health Cafe’ program was initiated
by the authorities, but over the years both remained active only on a
small scale and had not been successful in expanding systemic outreach
to vulnerable groups.
When asked whether incorporating compulsory sex education into
Maldivian education system could be a solution, Najeeb responded that
“adolescents must receive age appropriate reproductive health education
in schools.”
She explained: “Students, except for those studying biology, have
little to no information about their reproductive system. In school
Islam lessons they teach students about marriage, divorce, cleansing,
fornication. They are telling kids what is Haram [forbidden] and Halal
[allowed]. But they are not teaching kids about the ramifications of
those acts [sex] and reasons for it being forbidden.”
“Teenage years are a very explorative and experimental age. At that
age, if the adolescents are not taught about the sexual and reproductive
health and ramifications of high risk behaviors such as unprotected sex
and drug abuse, they are likely to be more vulnerable and go astray,”
Najeeb further noted.
She admitted that the suggested sex education programs in schools was
a controversial subject, considering the religious and cultural
background of Maldives, a 100 percent Muslim nation.
Therefore, she said authorities must together consult and come to a
consensus on the subject of supporting adolescents and youth to protect
their bodies and lives.
“We need to take action together. This is not a problem we can solve alone,” Najeeb concluded.
Meanwhile, in an interview to Minivan News, Former Minister for
Gender and Family Aneesa Ahmed also echoed Najeeb’s suggestions: “If we
can teach children about nose and ears, why can’t we teach them about
their sex organs in an age appropriate manner? There is absolutely no
shame in it. After all, it is also part of the human body.”
“Today the scale of of sexual abuse, unwanted and underage
pregnancies, abortions and infanticide in the community has gone to
extreme levels. Everyone needs to take responsibility for this. Parents,
schools and the society as a whole,” said Aneesa, recipient of this
years’ US State Secretary’s Women of Courage Award.
Young girls and boys need to be educated about their
responsibilities, and given means to guard their bodies and dignity, she
added.
Before assuming office as Health Minister, Dr Ahmed Jamsheed, the
former Director General of the CCHDC, also publicly stated his support
for sex education in schools.
In a blog entry in 2010, he wrote that broader reproductive health
should be taught in the schools, either incorporated to the curriculum
or as a separate programme.
He
wrote:
“I believe that we should introduce a comprehensive sex education
programme in an appropriate manner in the school. I understand that this
is a sensitive terminology with a lot of misunderstanding and
misconceptions associated with it. But such a programme would address
vital reproductive health issues including abstinence, medically
accurate and age/developmentally appropriate information about
sexuality.”
Such a programme, he said, should include information on
relationship, emotional relations, reproductive rights and
responsibilities, decision-making, assertiveness, and skill building;
empowering and enabling the youth to resist social or peer pressure and
become responsible citizens with safer and healthier behaviors.
“Children should also be taught building their skills on avoiding
experimentation on risky and harmful habits like smoking, using drugs,
etc. I believe there is no better time to start interventions than in
primary education and gradually go along the academic ladder in an age
and culturally appropriate and sensitive manner.” he explained.
In the same post, Dr Jamsheed also called for all barriers to access
contraceptives be removed: “I understand that some people would condemn
this opinion, arguing that this will promote unlawful and out of wedlock
sex. However, I don’t believe that the availability or non-availability
of condom or contraceptives would ever be a factor determining whether
two people who want to have sex will have it or not.”
However, since taking office Dr Jamsheed has not introduced any
explicit policies on addressing the sexual health epidemic. “I will talk
on the issue later”, he recently told Minivan News.
Minivan News meanwhile wrote two months ago to the Education
Ministry requesting it clarify the ministry’s stand on expanding sex
education in schools under the ongoing curriculum review, but it had not
responded at time of press.
However an official from the curriculum development unit
anonymously confirmed that “every time sex education topic is raised in
review meetings, some conservative individuals are blocking it, saying
such a measure would increase promiscuity.”
UNFPA Assistant Representative Shadiya Ibrahim however argued that
“sex education does not increase promiscuity”. Of 68 studies on family
life and sex education in a scientific review, she observed, 65 studies
found no associated increases in sexual behavior.
“Young people taking part in such programs had
higher levels of abstinence, later start of sexual activity, higher use
of contraceptives, fewer sexual partners and/or reduced rates of STDs
and unplanned pregnancy,” Ibrahim noted.
Via
Minivan News
11:54 PM
Editor
Posted in: Opinion
