UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS

February 1 2008

Safer Sex Week

It is quite common to hear Jamaican people say that their island full is of originality.   Some of our unique features are our Roots Rocking Reggae music, our exceptional culinary treats like "Jerk" chicken, pork and fish and the fact that the week in which Valentine’s Day falls is observed as "Safer Sex Week."

Of course, the timing of "Safer Sex Week" is no coincidence.  Its originators thought there was no better time for people across the country to be reminded about HIV prevention.   Young people are one of the key target groups for Safer Sex Week events.  So on February 13, the eve of Valentine's Day, the Ministry of Education with UNICEF’s support hosted a Reproductive Health Expo that was attended by a record breaking 5,000 high school students. 

The event featured edutainment acts showcasing how adolescents can make responsible choices that reduce their vulnerability to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. A number of UNICEF's key partners were facilitators at the Expo including the Bashy Bus Kru, Ashe and the Portmore Youth Council. 

I had the opportunity to work with these facilitators at one of the information booths and was so impressed with their ability to communicate to the adolescents.  They spoke their "slanguage", and were generally very familiar with the challenges they faced in making decisions about sex.  The facilitators were able to help many of the young people think through their reasons for becoming involved or, in some cases, waiting before having sex. In that process, they helped them come up with even more benefits to making responsible decisions.

The Ministry of Education in recognition of the amazing benefits of having peer to peer interaction among young people around HIV prevention, has decided that it will host at least one reproductive health fair in each of its six regions across the island over the next year.  This way, thousands of vulnerable young people can be reached with meaningful information and skills for HIV prevention. 

UNICEF is committed to assisting in this new effort.  With the continued support of our donors we can reduce new HIV infections among adolescents.