"Girls who are smarter than Christiana opt for an abortion; they don't get pregnant anyhow again," said Paul Ekanem, a teacher at the school. "Usually, their friends take them to places where they would get rid of it (abortion)."
According to a study carried out by Campaign Against Unwanted Pregnancy, a nongovernmental organisation, in 2006, young people contribute to more than 60 percent of unsafe abortions that takes place in Nigeria annually. In the same year, the Ministry of Education found that 21 percent of upper primary school pupils aged eight to ten years indicated that they have been involved in sexual intercourse. A recent assessment titled, ‘National Response to Young People's Sexual and Reproductive Health in 2009' showed that nationally, young people lacked the appropriate knowledge on sexuality.
Adenike Esiet, the executive director of Action Health International, a non-government organisation that deals with adolescent reproductive health, said a lack of investment in adolescent reproductive health, as well as lack of youth-friendly services in hospitals were among several other factors responsible for the high rate of teenage pregnancies and youth infected with HIV/AIDS.
What is youth friendliness?
According to Mrs. Esiet, young people should have access to youth-friendly centres, sexuality education in schools and parental input.
"When it comes to the issues of sexual and reproductive health, many of the health facilities are not responsive," she said. "There is limited access in responding to the peculiar needs of young people all over Nigeria."
Mrs. Esiet said that by not wanting to talk about sexuality with youth, healthcare providers were doing more harm than good.
"Concerning the issue of HIV/AIDS, they (youth) are discriminated against," she said. "They (healthcare providers) ask... "‘what business do you have going into sexual activity in the first place?'"
The executive director explained that healthcare providers must be comfortable discussing the issues of sexuality with young people devoid of judgemental attitudes.
Sexuality curriculum
Following the study that showed that 60 percent of all reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the country came from the age group 15-24 years, the Federal Government introduced the Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) curriculum into junior secondary schools nationwide. Family life education was first introduced into two core subjects: Integrated Science and Social Studies in 2003.
It covers human development, puberty, body image, self esteem, personal skills, HIV infection, relationships, making choices, assertiveness, society and culture. Mrs. Esiet said Lagos state was leading other states in implementing the curriculum. An integrated science teacher at Model College, Ikorodu, Mr. Oloyede, said he had noticed a slight improvement.
"The students love the subject, because it is participatory," he said. "This is a class where you see many of them asking questions. I think they love it, and it will enlighten them."
Another teacher at Randle High School, Apapa, who did not wish to be named, said: "Most of these children have already started experimenting before they even get to the class. But I cannot really say what impact the subjects is having on the students because some of them still get pregnant, and we direct some of them to the Family Planning Clinic at the General Hospital (Apapa) for contraceptives."
Resistance
Officials of the State Ministry of Education and the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency said that due to the success of the implementation, the curriculum is being scaled up to the senior secondary school level.
As a result of an initial protest by parents who felt that the FLHE was teaching sex education, many private schools have not embraced this curriculum.
The admissions officer at Vivian Fowler Girls College, Oregun, said that FLHE was not part of the school's curriculum.
"We follow the WAEC and NECO curriculum and this (FLHE) is not there," she said.
Written by Abiose Adelaja
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