Condom and Sex Education Initiative - Trinidad

Grant says that by handing out the materials he is "developing young people's skills so that they make choices about their behaviour and feel confident about acting on these choices". His strategy, which is based on observation of the risks that young sexually active people are exposed to, involves promoting open discussion of sex - and the provision of tools to have sex safely. As part of the initiative, Grant distributed the condoms and materials at schools, and without the consent of parents and guardians. This strategy runs directly counter to the government's sex education approach, which Ministry of Health officials describe as "comprehensive life-skills-based Health and Family Life Education curriculum and the Schools Guidance Programme"; Grant says this programme avoids any discussion of sexual activity.

Grant envisions his initiative as a strategy for helping young people exercise a basic right: "It is widely accepted that young people have a right to sex education, partly because it is a means by which they are helped to protect themselves against abuse, exploitation, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS."

Youth, Sex Education, Family Planning, Rights.

Grant claims that the authorities have failed to deal with the issue of sexual education. In recent years, he says, the government has produced a number of studies or policies, such as a "Five-Year National Strategic Plan" to address HIV/AIDS - "Still we await for the plans to move forward," Grant said.

Grant's actions inspired a strong response from community members, who debated the issue of sex education on radio and television talk shows, as well as in letters to newspapers. Some claimed Grant was wrong to give condoms to children who are legally too young to have sex. Others, like the President of the NGO Citizens for a Better Trinidad and Tobago, worry that "Unrestricted condom distribution gives young children the message that we support their sexuality as long as they do it safely". The National Parent-Teachers Association said that while it supports "structured sex education", it opposes the distribution of contraceptives in schools. Religious groups have also condemned giving out condoms, warning that it only promotes "illicit or unlawful sex".

Grant received the backing of the Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT), whose research has found that the average age for first sexual intercourse in Trinidad and Tobago was 14 years and that 75% of the youth population had sex by age 16. The Summary of Research Findings, based on a 2002 Rapid Assessment Study conducted by the International Labour Organisation Caribbean office, found that a significant number of boys and girls attending schools in Port of Spain were engaged in commercial sex activities. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health in May 2003 found that teenagers at United States high schools where condoms were available were no more likely to have sex than other teens.