Parent Summary Sheet
Youth and Playing Sex
- In some schools 50% or more of STD 6 and 7 pupils have played sex.
- Young people are pushed to play sex by: body urges, curiosity, peers, and watching others play sex. Girls often play sex for gifts or money. Boys often play sex to prove their manhood.
- Young people report that at times boys physically force girls to play sex.
- This does not mean that all young people are playing sex all the time.
- This does mean that many STD 6 and 7 pupils are at risk for pregnancy, STIs and HIV/AIDS.
Youth and HIV Prevention
- Young people know that HIV/AIDS exists, kills and is a major problem.
- Young people feel abstinence is the best way to be free from HIV/AIDS.
- Young people expect that many of them will not abstain until marriage.
- Young people want to know how to use condoms in order to protect from HIV/AIDS once they become sexually active.
- Young people hear many contradictory messages about abstinence
- You should abstain
- Playing sex is natural
- You should play sex to get gifts, to preserve your virility or fertility
- Young people also hear contradictory messages about condoms
- Condoms protect
- Condoms have holes, burst, and cause AIDS
Parent-Child Communication
- Parents are afraid that talking about sex and condoms with their children will increase their curiosity and cause them to experiment
- Parents don't know how to talk about both abstinence and condoms.
- Young people want their parents to talk to them about
- how to resist being pushed to play sex
- how to properly use condoms.
Parents and Schools
- Teachers would like to work with parents on keeping children free from HIV and AIDS.
|