To guarantee the safety and effective decision making of young people regarding their sexuality, sex education is very cardinal.
It is a topic that is often avoided by many people in society. People have different perceptions through religious and cultural beliefs on sexual discussions and for some it is considered a taboo to even talk about sexual issues openly either to parents or other people in society.
However, sex education is the topic that needs to be discussed more often by parents or members of the society to equip children with more knowledge on the topic.
Equipped with the know, many people make positive decisions about their sexuality and avoid making decisions that might have negative consequences in their lives. Sex education can be taught in schools, communities through peer to peer, sensitization or at household level.
It teaches people a wide variety of information regarding sexuality such as abortion, family planning, hygiene, abstaining from sexual activities, the use of contraceptives and other sexual reproductive issues.
With the rise of many teenage pregnancies and many young people engaging in risky sexual activities, it is crystal clear that many people lack sex education in order for them to make the right decisions. There is need for more sensitization in schools, communities, at household level or online.
Africa Directions is an organization that embarks on teaching young people about sex. They do so through various activities such as drama, online and community sensitization.
The organization recruits young people, train them, and send them in various communities to sensitize young people about their sexuality.
They also make use of technology by uploading educational videos and beneficial information to reach as many people as possible.
However, despite its effort to sensitize people on the importance of sex education, the organization believes parents also play a more pivotal role in teaching their children about sex.
Africa Directions Programmes Manager Eric Kasomo, said parents should effectively communicate with their children regardless of their beliefs.
“The role of a parent is to teach their children and guide them in order for them to make good decisions about their sexuality,” Kasomo said.
He further urged parents to take the first step in teaching their children about sexuality to prepare them for the future.
Sex education is a topic that is supposed to be openly talked about despite different cultural and religion reason, but most young people do not take a step to ask questions about their sexuality because of what society thinks about the topic.
This can have a negative bearing on them because due to lack of knowledge, some young people end up contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections ( STIs), some end up in having unplanned pregnancies, and others find themselves in abusive relationships.
Therefore, it is important for there to be comprehensive sex education among young people to give them confidence in making the right decisions about their lives. In order to achieve this, people in communities must work together with organizations and other parties to teach sexuality.