The revelation by Colonial War Memorial Hospital senior medical officer pediatrics Dr Priya Kaur that children as young as 12 years are being diagnosed with HIV is a concern.
The fact that children are getting HIV because they are having sex at a much younger age should also be noted with great concern.
Some of these children, she pointed out, are just teenagers “who have had sex with boyfriends, adults, or people they don’t even know”.
Some children were either just experimenting or as she stated, and sadly, some were raped.
“Right now, I have a 14-year-old patient I am tending to who had sex last year with an anonymous person. My patient doesn’t remember because she was drunk and now, she has HIV for life.
“That’s the harsh reality of HIV. The scenario she raised isn’t a positive reflection of how we are expected to nurture our children. But in a world that has evolved greatly, and with the advent of the digital age, technology has changed the dynamics so to speak.
Dr Kaur mentioned that children were being exposed to adults sexually at a younger age. It’s a point worth noting. We agree that we must be more aware of what our children are doing or who they are meeting.
“I think everybody now is going through a globalisation thought process where sex is common, normal, and not a taboo,” she insists.
She wants us to talk to our children about sex.
“If you tell them not to have sex, they will have sex so it’s best to teach them about safe sex. How to use condoms, know your partners and who you are having sex with. That’s what our attitude should focus on.”
It’s not the norm for many parents and guardians. It is sensitive! In fact it’s a difficult subject to talk about.
Therein lies a major challenge for many of us. But in a world that is exposing habits, emotional connections and sensitive issues openly now via various forums including social media portals, this isn’t going to be something we can just shrug aside.
The question is how do we address this? And what part in the process of awareness and guidance do we play alongside key partners such as the State, religion, school and the community for instance?
Probably the most important part! One that prepares and nurtures our children to make sound decisions in their lives. Surely we all want our children to develop into confident and well developed adults. Surely we all want our children to live fruitful lives, and to be happy.
Surely we want them to grow up in a positive environment, surrounded by people who love them and would do anything to make them feel secure and appreciated. Sadly that can’t be the reality for many of our children though.
The question is are we giving them the attention and time they need? Are policies in line with our expectations, and is there assistance available when we need that? There has to be a base.
And it should include accepting responsibility as parents and guardians. Ultimately decisions matter.
They can either make or break a person! But what a sad reality! It is encouraging though to know that we have people who are living up to expectations and caring for those who need help! There is hope!
