Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean should improve and expand sexuality education programmes in order to prevent HIV and AIDS and reduce the impact of the epidemic in the region, a group of United Nations agencies said today.
Comprehensive sexuality education is one of the lynchpins of HIV prevention, especially if tailored to the needs of young people, the group argued.
The Regional Directors' Group, representing ten UN agencies, funds and programmes, met here today to support and urge Ministers of Health and Education from the region to improve the availability and quality of sexuality education for young people. The Ministers will meet in the Mexican capital tomorrow to discuss the status of sexuality education and HIV prevention.
"Evidence consistently shows that school-based education about sex, relationships and HIV works," said Mark Richmond, UNESCO's Global Coordinator for HIV and AIDS.
But comprehensive programmes currently reach relatively few. A global study revealed that only 20 per cent of young women and 33 per cent of young men aged 15-24 could correctly identify ways of preventing HIV transmission[1].
The Directors affirmed that now is a crucial time to improve education programmes and to ensure a strong focus on sexual and reproductive health as well as HIV prevention.
While some countries in the region are offering such programmes, they are not generally available nation-wide, nor are they mandatory for students. In some cases programmes face fierce opposition. "When adults are silent on the issue of HIV/AIDS the consequences for children are often fatal," said Nils Kastberg, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Youth-friendly prevention and information services are absolutely crucial and need to be part of all our education systems."
New infections are concentrated among young people. Those aged between 15 and 24 account for 45 percent of all infections among adults globally[2]. In 2007, there were an estimated 20,000 new infections among adults in the Caribbean and 140,000 in Latin America[3]. Currently 47,000 boys and girls are living with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean, and over 400,000 HIV-positive young people between 15 and 24 years of age. Over 210 HIV-related deaths occur every day in the region, and in the Caribbean, AIDS remains one of the leading causes of death among adults.
"Better education programmes will empower young people -- especially girls -- to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the virus", said Marcela Suazo, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. She also emphasized that sexuality education will make boys more conscious about the need for gender equality and contribute to reducing gender-based violence.
According to studies, those who have little or no education are more than twice as likely to be infected by HIV, compared to young people with at least 5 to 6 years of education.
The Regional Directors argued that comprehensive sexuality education should start before young people become sexually active. Programmes should include the development of life skills, communication, and focus on healthy relationships as well as human rights. Successful education programmes help youth postpone sexual relations, and also help them adopt safe and healthy behaviour once they are sexually active.
The education system also needs to address the management of HIV and AIDS in the school setting, ensuring that children's right to an education is guaranteed for all, including those young people living with the virus.