Ariadne Massa
Call for education review amid 'risky, rampant' casual sex
Certain youngsters are having rampant sex, dabbling in drugs and getting drunk without a clue as to the consequences of their actions.
A review of sex education in schools should be key to any National Sexual Health Policy because a section of very young people were having high-risk, casual sex while being clueless about the consequences, Philip Carabot, GU Clinic consultant, has warned.
"I have no illusion that I would be able to write this policy, in fact I believe we need to seek foreign expert advice, but the topmost priority has to be a review of sex education in our schools," he told The Times.
"Just starting from this would already be a huge step forward. And, I stress, it's not just a question of condoms. I'm in no way promoting condoms; they're just one detail in a much bigger picture," he added.
Two months ago, health director general Ray Busuttil said the policy should be "finalised in the coming weeks" after some seven years in gestation. To date it remains unpublished.
Dr Busuttil also said that, once published, "the policy will provide the framework and overall direction of where Malta should be going on sexual health but not the strategy."
This comment is of concern to Dr Carabot, who believes a policy should spell out both the direction and overall strategy. "This is a huge undertaking and should look at every aspect of sexuality in the country from the education of parents and students, gays, the situation in prisons...," he said.
He is also cynical about what the policy will contain once published.
"The last policy, which was updated six years ago, was full of holes and inaccuracies, so I hope it's been revisited since. I'd rather we do nothing if we're merely going to publish a piece of paper to pretend we're tackling the issue," he said.
"If there is no political will or determination to see the policy through we may as well go without."
He believes the policy's success hinges on the authorities' commitment to keep reassessing the situation and ensuring that any measures introduced were actually being implemented.
Dr Carabot is tired of sounding like a broken record, but the cases of unprotected sex he has been seeing each year at the GU Clinic force him to keep raising the alarm bells.
According to the clinic's latest report probing Malta's sexual habits, the number of people infected with gonorrhoea through casual, unprotected sex more than doubled in one year (between 2006 and 2007).
The report also highlighted more worrying facts but Dr Carabot is especially worried about underage casual sex.
An unpublished report on underage sex among patients attending the GU Clinic in 2006, seen by The Times, shows that 60 (4.4 per cent) of the 1,374 new patients were under 18 - the majority (35) were female.
He saw a patient as young as 13, three patients aged 14, nine 15-year-olds, 18 were aged 16, and 29 had turned 17. The majority, 70 per cent, were self-referrals and 65 per cent were still attending school.
"The kids I'm seeing at the clinic are totally unprepared for sex. I have witnessed enormous changes in behaviour and attitude in the last 10 years. They have acquired the lifestyle - both the good and the bad - of the rest of Europe without the necessary education," he said.
"There are certain youngsters who are having rampant sex, dabbling in drugs and getting drunk without a clue as to the consequences of their actions. When it comes to responsibilities they are clueless," he said, adding that students were leaving school totally unprepared.
The study shows that the majority of these ill-equipped youngsters (66.6 per cent) never used a condom even though 50 per cent admitted to vaginal sex and 32 per cent occasionally practised high-risk anal sex.
Another 28 per cent admitted to the use of illicit drugs, mostly marijuana, while other adolescents even dabbled in cocaine (four patients), ecstasy (two) and heroin (two).
What was even more disturbing was that 50 per cent of the underage patients described their last partner as causal and in many cases they did not even know the first name of the person they had been intimate with. Dr Carabot said this made partner notification (contact tracing to inform the other person to get themselves checked for sexually-transmitted infections) impossible.
"We rely on the patient's good nature to inform their partner to come forward to receive treatment. But the patients either have no clue as to who they slept with or they simply refuse to inform them because they do not realise the seriousness of the situation," he said.
As a result, the infected person remains at large, infecting more people in the process, and Dr Carabot said it was practically impossible to get to the source of the infection.
The rates of casual sex and condom non-use were "depressingly consistent" over the years and Dr Carabot felt it was clear that whatever efforts were being made in terms of sex education in schools and health promotion were clearly not enough or not working.
"It is high time we thoroughly revised both with an open mind - the overriding agenda should be the well-being of our young people," he said.
"This we need to do with urgency before we are hit by a crisis and then forced into counter-productive and knee-jerk measures."
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Tania Zammit
Aug 6th 2008, 14:21
I think " MODESTY" is the best way to get rid of these problems. The children should be taught the righteousness and good deeds, parents also should tell them that after death every body will be given the punishment of the sins which he is doing in this world. Sex is only permitted with "WIFE or HUSBAND" , having sex with other people is ADULTERY, and there is very severe punishment of adultery in the bible for referrence see:
(LEVITICUS Chapter 20 Verse 9 to 27 / Deuteronomy Cahpter 22 Verse 20 to 25)
So be careful about your future, and always do good. Be modest, do good, think good, see good. Another imporant point is that the women should not expose their body and their beauty axcept to their husbands, and when they go out they should cover their body especially their atractive parts. The women and the men should adopt modesty, cover your bodies, do not mix the male and females because when male and female are mixed and totaly free the Satan make them to commit sin. All my dear reader please Modesty is the best solution. May Allah help us all to do good.
James De Giorgio
Aug 4th 2008, 20:57
Condoms are not the solution... ask south africa, which notwithstanding the widespread distribution of contraceptives, has an ever increasing rate of AIDS and HIV.
Responsible attitudes are the answer. Ask Uganda which ever since embarking on an Abstinence programme has the best success in all of Africa. Rates as low as 4%... compared with 30% in Swaziland.
Alex Vella Gregory
Aug 4th 2008, 20:45
This must be about the 20th report on the rise of irresponsible sexual behaviour in Malta this year. And no-one government entity or individual has come up with any good ideas on how to combat this growing trend.
Clearly, the Church's policy of total abstinence is being completely disregarded. Telling these kids that if you err God will forgive you and you just have to try harder next time, simply isn't on. The responsibility lies with our educators, be they parents, teachers, priests, leaders of youth groups, etc.
People will always have sex, whether the moralists among us like it or not. But if it's gonna happen let's make sure it happens responsibly. Those who experience sexual abuse, or who go through a sexually related medical problem should mind moral support not condemnation. Explain the risks, but also the joys of sex. Give them the tools to think for themselves, not preach till they get bored and rebel!
and yes, abstinence IS the safest course, but is should always remain an option and not forced on ppl!
john fenech
Aug 4th 2008, 18:18
In today’s liberal society, were to be cool is predominate to being prudent, it is imperative that those partaking in the sexual act be aware of the risk and responsibility of their action.
The parents as role models have to ensure that their behaviour will reflect a responsible and loving attitude for their children. And the state is responsible to provide the essential education about this social aspect to our adolescents.
On the other hand the church has the mission to safeguard morality. To do so it has to change its teaching from the pulpit as to the actuality of the street. To be fair a few of the clergy are doing this, but for the message and the mission to be meaningful it has to be sanctioned from the highest authorities
John Spiteri
Aug 4th 2008, 15:24
There is only one education that they need. that rights are balanced with obligations. The Nanny state has completely undermined this basic reality. Now everyone expects to have a right to do anything they want and they expect the rest of society to pick up the tabs. No report, No policy will reverse this unless it admits the root cause of everything. this social destruction will only be reversed when we roll back the welfare state so that once again individuals become responsible for their actions. The irresponsible should not be assisted, they need to learn the hard way.
C.Caruana
Aug 4th 2008, 12:51
And the state is expected to solve the problems! What are parents for?? Have the parents and nation lost control of the youth??
What punishments are they given for these evil and stupid acts? Here's a suggestion! One month military service.
Joanne Micallef
Aug 4th 2008, 11:01
What do you expect when someone who talks about moral and Christian values is ridiculed in the media. Dr Josie Muscat was labelled 'old fashioned' and 'against women' for voicing the same concerns a few months back.
Guess all is fair on the road to the elections, though one must be more responsible, and more careful, about the messages we are sending to our children when such comments are passed in the media.
André Xuereb
Aug 4th 2008, 09:11
"They have acquired the lifestyle - both the good and the bad - of the rest of Europe without the necessary education..."
Of course they don't have the necessary education -- remember, Malta is Catholic; i.e., we should bury our heads in the sand, pretend children do not need to be taught about sex, bar that it is immoral and that abstinence is the be-all and end-all of sex education. We need to teach our children how to use condoms, about not being shy asking for them at the pharmacy, etc.
I am not discounting the role that parents have in educating their children in these matters, but schools should also bear some responsibility in teaching children the basic principles of safe sex.