Editorial

Teaching "the facts of life" used to be a euphemism for sex education. Some other facts have emerged of late, which, no doubt, weigh heavily on the minds of all those concerned with imparting the right sexual information, attitudes and values to youngsters.

One disquieting set of data relates to teenage pregnancy. The European Perinatal Health Report places Malta in the category with the highest rates, at 5.8 per cent. That is equivalent to well over 200 girls getting pregnant every year. Childbearing at a young age carries with it health risks such as a higher chance of premature birth, restricted growth and mortality. Another grave health concern relates to sexually transmitted diseases among the young; over seven per cent of the patients seen by the Genitourinary Clinic are under 18, a very high proportion.

Such statistics can only sound alarm bells. More so when nearly three-quarters of the patients at the GU clinic, according to its head, are either unaware or cavalier about the importance of protection. It is of further concern to learn that, in the case of teenage pregnancies, Denmark registers a mere 1.3 per cent, the Netherlands 1.6 and Sweden 1.7. So what's happening in Malta?

Clearly, it still has a lot to learn when it comes to teaching adolescents how to handle their sexuality. Surveys carried out in schools have already shown that a large segment of the teenage population is sexually active. But the figures quoted above, as well as comments made by sexual health educators, indicate that, more worryingly still, many adolescents are also having regular, casual, unprotected sex.

Youngsters are under a barrage of influences that include the liberal portrayal of sex in the media, ease of access to pornography, peer expectations and pressure, mind-altering alcohol and substance abuse, and simply youth culture with its intrinsic elements of risk-taking and rebelliousness. Add to all that a heavy dose of parental denial and lack of involvement in their teenage children's sexual issues and the little time dedicated to the subject matter in schools - if any - and the local teenage pregnancy rate is hardly surprising.

The fact is that the messages promoting a responsible approach to sex - whether, preferably, through abstinence or by the use of condoms - tend to get drowned out because they are weak by comparison. This is not fair at all on youth. An unassertive teenager under pressure to have sexual relations, even if she is not sure that she wants to, is already at a disadvantage. An uninformed one is asking for trouble.

People involved in the field have been harping on the need for a robust national sexual health strategy for years and, thankfully, after some delay, it is expected soon. It is being put together by a group of professionals and so it should be - clinically. Education Minister Dolores Cristina perhaps set the tone for what is required when she wrote in this newspaper: "A bland, non-policy should be left to gather dust. It's not what the country needs. What we need is a factual, down-to-earth, no-nonsense policy that addresses life as it is lived today".

Evidence from the US suggests that comprehensive sexual health education is the best approach to delaying the start of sexual activity among teenagers and increasing contraceptive use if they become sexually active. If we expect youngsters to behave maturely, we need to treat them that way - by giving them all the facts.