In response to the report from the Ministry of Health's National HIV/STI Programme, which revealed that AIDS is the "second leading cause of death in persons 15-24" while HIV infection "doubled in the age group 10-24 between 1995 and 2006", students have been calling for condoms to be distributed in schools. I am sure that the fact that the age group that has "the highest number of non-regular sex partners in 12 months," is ages 15-19 would seem to justify this call.

I have an issue with this proposal on various levels. First, I agree with the minister of education when he says that "The Ministry of Education is not in the business of distributing condoms in schools". Schools undertake the task of educating our students about sex, not facilitating sexual activity. This is a matter that the homes and health centres should undertake.

Second, the information that HIV has doubled in the age range which includes children ages 10-15, who, according to our law, are under the age of consent to be having sex, points to a very serious legal issue. When these children report to hospitals or clinics, what mechanism is there to prosecute the usually older adults who have had sex with them? If we are serious about the Child Care and Protection Act, then measures need to be put in place to prosecute adults who are having sex with children. The information required to do this can be gained from the young pregnant 'girl-child' coming into the clinics, along with those children who are infected by HIV. Let us begin to get serious with the predators and perverts in our nation who are preying on the young. They need to be held responsible under the law for their perversion. The answer is not simply to issue condoms, because to do so would be against the law.

Biological implications

Third, apart from the legal implications of issuing condoms to children under the age of consent, are the biological implications for children of this age who engage in sexual activity. Children having sex early with multiple partners means that they are exposed from very early to the human papilloma virus, which is associated with cancer of the cervix. We need to note that the use of condoms does not protect against this virus. It means that young women develop cancer of the cervix at a young age. In addition, early sexually activity in young girls leads, many times, to their having blocked tubes, being more prone to ectopic pregnancies and also to infertility.

In all of this discussion looms the moral issue. Is there going to be a point when we stop and think about whether sex is simply to be treated as an animal appetite to be fulfilled, such as the need for food? Is it, therefore, that if our six-year-olds, who are now being sexually overexposed because of the music, cable-TV offerings and generally heightened sexualised culture in which we exist, want to engage in sex, that we are to simply offer them a condom so they won't get infected with HIV? What is the standard? Who determines the standard? We need to understand that the thinking of convenience which now exists is taking us down a very dangerous, slippery slope.

There have to be standards that we abide by as a society that are based, not simply on what is craved by the majority, but by what is best for the majority. What is best is not always what is desired, but what is needed to maintain a healthy, civilised society.

'Dat a foolishness'

I propose that in the same way that in Uganda the promotion of abstinence helped to decrease the level of AIDS infection, so too can it be done in Jamaica. I already hear the voices clamouring, "Dat a foolishness!" It worked in Uganda because the government there was willing to do a widespread campaign called ABC - Abstinence, Be Faithful, Use a Condom. In the schools in Uganda, thousands of teenagers are part of the 'True Love Waits' campaign. This has helped to promote the concept of abstinence among the youth. Those who want to cry down the suggestion that this can help us in Jamaica need seriously to question why they would be against such a campaign.

In Jamaica, a movement called 'Passion for Purity' has been started among young people by a teacher at the Wolmer's group of Schools. I believe that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education should endorse and promote this programme right across schools in Jamaica. We need to help our young people to hear another voice, a voice that speaks to self-control, self-respect, respect for others and God respect. That voice needs to also come from the churches. Our churches need to speak more intensely to this issue. We need to counteract the voice of slackness, 'gal in a bungle', if you feel it do it, and 'man a ole dawg', that rings consistently and stridently in our nation.

Let us take a page out of Uganda's book. It is reported that in downtown Kampala, Uganda, a large billboard with the image of two cranes, which is the Ugandan national bird, has the message, "The crested crane sticks faithfully to one partner until death. Abstinence and faithfulness - 100 per cent guaranteed."

Not even condoms are that successful!

As a nation, we seem to fit the description of the persons being described by Paul in Ephesians 4 and verse 19 (The Message Bible):

"They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every perversion."

Esther Tyson is principal of Ardenne High School, St. Andrew. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.