Tuesday 29 May 2007

Catch them young

There is an urgent need for youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services in the fight against HIV Aids, writes ROSE ORONJE
LACK OF SEX EDUCATION AND information is to blame for early sexual activity among young people in sub-Saharan Africa and the spread of HIV/Aids, says a study.
As a result, the majority of sexually active young people in the region do not protect themselves against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/Aids.
According to a study by Infotrak Research and Consulting, more than 50 per cent of girls in Kenya lose their virginity by the age of 16.
In a joint study by the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) and the Guttmacher Institute (US) in 2004, about half of young people (age 15-19 years) in Uganda and Malawi, 40 per cent in Burkina Faso, and 22 per cent in Ghana, were found to be sexually active.

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