Sexual health of young people : improving access to comprehensive, high-quality information

---

Extract from the article: Dans un contexte où la fécondité chez les adolescentes atteint des sommets en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, il devient impératif de leur offrir des informations complètes et de qualité sur la sexualité.

---

With teenage fertility at an all-time high in West and Central Africa, it is imperative that young people have access to comprehensive, high-quality information on sexuality.

Puberty is a crucial time in the lives of adolescents. It's a time when the body is changing, hormones are raging and questions about sexuality are emerging. Girls and boys begin to face new and often disturbing realities that can have a direct impact on their sexuality. This is a time of awakening, but also of fragility. The lack of appropriate information and open discussion on these issues can have serious repercussions on their health and well-being. It is vital to understand that ‘the well-being and sexual health of young people and adolescents are linked to their access to comprehensive, high-quality information on sex and sexuality’.

Alarming situation on SRH

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) are alarming: every year, around 21 million girls aged between 15 and 19 become pregnant, and 90% of these pregnancies occur in developing countries. In West and Central Africa, the fertility rate is 128 births per 1,000 teenage girls, a figure that is often the result of early marriage and lack of access to contraception. In Togo, according to statistics, over 8,000 cases of early pregnancy and sexual violence have been recorded in schools over the past three years. In 2022 alone, 2,474 cases of teenage pregnancy were recorded in secondary schools in Togo. These figures underline the urgent need for adequate sex education to prevent early and unwanted pregnancies, while protecting young people from sexually transmitted infections.

What should be done?

Sex education should not be seen as a mere addition to the school curriculum, but rather as an essential condition for the healthy development of young people.It's not just about teaching them about the biological mechanisms of reproduction, but also about helping them to understand the emotional, relational and social issues associated with sexuality.The aim is to give them the resources they need to make informed, responsible decisions that respect their well-being.It is essential to establish and create a framework that is conducive to the affirmation and promotion of young people's sexual health.It is essential to encourage parents, as the first educators, to discuss these issues with their children from an early age. For their part, schools are required to include appropriate sex education in their curricula, taking into account local realities and cultural values. As far as public authorities are concerned, it is essential to ensure that young people benefit from high-quality, accessible, confidential and non-discriminatory sexual health services. The media are also essential.They have the ability to deconstruct myths, provide information and raise awareness by disseminating simple, relevant messages about sexual health.It is by working together, by being consistent and determined, that we can truly ensure the protection of young people and guarantee them a better future.

It is essential to invest in human capital in order to generate a demographic dividend.This means that sex education for young people is essential, because their well-being today is crucial to the development of societies tomorrow. Investing in sex education for young people means investing in their future, and therefore in the future of the societies.

Jean ELI