By Justina Auta
The Federal Government, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria and other stakeholders have advocated the strengthening of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to enhance health outcomes and protection from sexually transmitted infections (STI) and violence.
They made the call at an event organised by AHF Nigeria to commemorate the 2024 International Day of the African Child (IDAC), in Abuja.
Kemi Gbadamosi, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Marketing, AHF Africa Bureau, said CSE will address the increasing new infection rates of HIV, STIs and unplanned pregnancies among youths.
“We are looking at fostering education and health through CSE and the reason is because as an HIV/AIDS organisation, we see that there are new infection rates among young people every week.
“For example, we get 4,000 HIV new infection globally amongst young people age 15 to 24 and Africa takes the biggest chunk of that.
“Part of the reason we see this spike in infection rate among young people is lack of access to the right information, sexual reproductive health services, information and tools like CSE.
“Research tells us that access to age appropriate CSE helps to reduce HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, delay when young people begin to have sex and reduces cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and promotes gender equality.
“Contrary to popular opinions, a lot of parents, leaders say CSE promotes promiscuity but research tells us that when young people have access to age appropriate CSE, it stops them from being promiscuous.
“It protects them, builds their self esteem and they are able to make better decisions and more informed choices,” he said.
Also, AHF Nigeria Country Programme Director, Dr Echey Ijezie, said: “it is important to discuss CSE because research has shown that CSEs improve health outcomes, empower youths and adolescents.
“So that they can make informed choices and not contract HIV and other STIs, as well as reducing the risks of unwanted pregnancies.”
Mrs Mariam Shu’aibu, Assistant Director, Child Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, said: “issues on child marriage, HIV are issues that the ministry is advocating against and we are ready to collaborate with AHF to deliver your programmes in the FCT and other states.”
Njideka Ogbuke, Assistant Director, Education Support Department, Federal Ministry of Information, said: “considering there are lots of information on the Internet.
“But when you equip a young person with what is right, even when faced with wrong information, pornography and others, the fact that the young mind has already been formed based on the information he or she has acquired, they will find it repulsive.
“And know that it affects their mindset and derails their paths.”
Mrs Maria Okhilua, Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, representing the Secretary, FCT Education Board, noted that youths may access wrong information on social media, hence the need to educate them with the appropriate information.
Miss Isabel Anani, Stand with a Girl Initiative and UNICEF Young Influencer, advised against peer pressure.
Other youth groups and schools present were educated on sexual and reproductive health. (NAN)