LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Bible verses and social facts

Disclaimer: The views, and claims, expressed in this letter are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of Duravision Inc., Dominica News Online, or any of its subsidiary brands.

Dear Editor:

We had quite a lively debate about whether we should respond to Mr. Jason Grogg’s Biblical reaction to our suggestion that the government should lower the age at which adolescents can have access to medical and dental care without parental consent.

We finally decided that out of respect for DNO’s prompt coverage of his remarks, we should respond.

Mr. Grogg relies heavily on strong exhortations from the Bible. We rely on data from Dominica and the Caribbean.

We take no issue with any of the passages he quotes. Indeed, we welcome them all.

We also note that the condition of man is one of imperfection. We have heard those appeals for generations. They have not worked. We would be happy if they did.

He does not dispute the monstrous, ugly, reality in the data we present. We believe it is our responsibility to propose policies that can improve adolescent reproductive health.

What we have in the Caribbean is not parental consent, but parental negligence. Almost no parents (at best 5-10%) speak to their children about responsible sexual behaviour. Our schools are dismissive of Health and Family Life Education (HFLE).

At Carnival, we chip and bounce, and whine, and grind – but we do not speak about sex. That is taboo. Except for one denomination, the Seventh Day Adventist, no church actively educates its young members about sexuality. The few who raise the subject rely more on fearmongering than on information.

There is a widespread belief that educating teenagers about sex is certain to encourage them to have sex. So, the fear is that sex education induces to sexual activity. That belief is unfounded: It is rubbish on a rocket.

All the studies we have reviewed show that strong, well-designed sexuality education delays the onset of sexual activity and increases responsible sexual behaviour.

Our chart is a vivid portrayal of the difference between the Caribbean’s reliance on Restriction and Punishment and our former colonizers’ practice of Access and Education. Sex education includes values and moral grounding.

The painful irony is that in our grand independence, we continue to cling to laws that were imposed on us by our colonizers. They have long ago discarded them! Look at the results: Our average adolescent fertility rate is 700% higher than theirs.

This is not a matter of culture; it is one of method and policy.

If we want later onset of sexual activity, fewer adolescent pregnancies, a lower incidence of STIs among teens and if we want to tackle incest and childhood sexual abuse, and the havoc that young adult males wreak on adolescent girls, the path is clear: (i) lower the age for adolescent access to healthcare, (ii) strengthen HFLE including moral guidance, (iii) encourage parents to speak to their children about sex, and (iv) encourage religious leaders to take a pastoral role in healthy, positive, sex education.

Sincerely,
ASPIRE

ASPIRE is a pro-motherhood, pro-family, pro-choice, non-governmental advocacy group registered in Dominica and five other Caribbean countries. It promotes research and dialogue with civil society and governments to advance fairness and justice in reproductive health.