Save the Children Calls for Parents to Talk Openly to their Children About Sexuality and Relationships

Both boys and girls in the ages 5-11 reported that they turned to their parents for information but the study indicates that the primary focus of the parents’ communication was on protecting children from sexual abuse from strangers and less about how to protect themselves from HIV transmission. This is important because the age group which has the highest proportion of adult HIV prevalence at 50.56 percent are children and young people 15-24 years and of the estimated 5.6 million South Africans living with HIV 330 000 are children under 15 years. Children and adolescents are not adequately informed and educated about sexuality and how to avoid HIV transmission specifically and HIV prevention in general.

Parents and other adults in children’s lives need to start talking openly to children from as young as 5 years about their sexuality as part of positive and healthy relationships. The information we give them must be consistent with their age e.g. for very young children we talk more about their bodies and how their bodies work, how infections are transmitted as well as meanings of ‘body rights’, tolerance and respect and healthy relationships within and outside of their families.

We recognise that this is a difficult subject to talk about but failing to do so puts children at risk as children are less prepared to make the right choices when they need to.

We would also encourage the government to develop a range of programmes with civil society, schools and public health service providers to ensure that both parents and children receive the knowledge, skills and support they need. We are calling for an amendment of the basic education curriculum to include accurate and comprehensive sexuality information and teachers must be trained and supported to deliver it. We also call for action to address the social norms and negative attitudes that hinder parents and adults providing comprehensive sexuality information to children.

Save the Children seeks to improve the lives of children by promoting comprehensive sexuality information and education that would improve children’s access to information and services relating to SRH and HIV prevention.

The findings of the study will be presented to both countries and the full report will available after feedback has been incorporated. For more information on the study contact Velephi Riba at velephir [at] saf [dot] savethechildren [dot] se and Arvin Bhana at ABhana [at] hsrc [dot] ac [dot] za.