Youth The Focus For Sexual Health Programmes

There is an increase in the number of sexually involved youth, pregnancies and related ills, and more actions are needed to reduce these incidents.

So said Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, who was delivering the keynote address at the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) Yute Expression Official Launch and Awards Ceremony, held Wednesday (May 11) at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew.

She said providing services in sexual/reproductive health is a key component of strategies employed across the island to meet the demands of adolescent development.

“This is especially important in light of data that shows an increase in HIV among the youth population, from 16 to 24 years and an uptick in the number of sexually active adolescents across the island. Put simply, more of our young people are having sex at an early age and we must put in place mechanisms to address this. We know all too well that such risky behaviour results in far-reaching consequences that hinder their ability to lead healthy and productive lives,” she said.

The Minister of State quoted data compiled by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) that show 20 per cent of all child visits to public hospitals between 2014 and 2017 were due to sexual assault, and the main perpetrators were either a relative, family friend, acquaintance, or intimate partner. Youth aged 15 to 24 years old continue to register high rates of unplanned, ill-timed, or unwanted pregnancies.

She outlined that her Ministry, in partnership with various other ministries, departments and agencies, continues to promote positive youth and adolescent development. She noted that the Government continues to reaffirm its commitment to adolescent development with strategic action, and in collaboration with “key youth and adolescent stakeholders”, a non-traditional access point – a Teen Hub – was developed.

The first Teen Hub was launched in 2017 at the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre. “This has been lauded as an innovative and practical approach in providing adolescents and youth with age-appropriate services in a supportive setting to minimise and mitigate risky behavioural and lifestyle practices,” she said

Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn stressed that since its inception, the Teen Hub in Half-Way Tree has seen uptake of its services. In March, ground was broken to build a Teen Hub for the eastern end of the island, in the parish of St. Thomas.

She told her audience that the NFPB initiative is to further support adolescent development from a national standpoint, adding that the average age of first sexual intercourse for persons in the 15 to 24 age group, range from 11 to 13 years for males, and 15 to 17 years for females.

“Consequently, we have seen that of the 618 new cases of HIV reported in 2020, 16 per cent or 99 were adolescents [15 to 19 years]. This is consistent with the age of first sexual experience [Annual HIV/STI Review, 2021],” the State Minister said.

Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn also reported that 40 per cent of Jamaican women have been pregnant at least once before the age of 20 years, and more than 80 per cent of adolescent pregnancies (15 to 19 years) are unplanned. The NFPB is committed to responding to the needs of the population through first-line support for adolescents and youth in sexual and reproductive health, with treatment referral and preventive services.

Youth across the island can access the NFPB service via WhatsApp at (876) 536-9154 or by DM on social media @yuteexpressionja. She said dedicated professional staff who are experts in reproductive health will be on hand to respond to concerns in real time.