Taboos and Teenage Pregnancy

"in our culture it is somewhat taboo to talk about sex with children openly"

- quoted from a recent local Mmegi newspaper article

Botswana is concerned.

Teenage pregnancies are on the rise and girls are dropping out of school.  Although the local paper was not able to obtain national annual statistics, in a recent article they mentioned figures from some schools.  One Senior Secondary School had 51 pregnancy drop-outs in one year.  In other schools figures were lower but still present.

And these are not just girls in the Senior Secondary Schools (Form 4&5 equivalent to the Aussie Yr 11 &12) but also in the Junior Secondary Schools (Aussie Yr 8-10).

Various social workers and traditional leaders were interviewed in the article and it was interesting what was raised as 'causes' and contributing factors to the problem:

•  guidance and counselling teachers too busy teaching other subjects
•  kids not given sex education knowledge at school and in the home
•  immoral older men taking advantage of younger girls
•  sex education and intervention measures coming too late at Senior Secondary School level when kids are already sexually active
•  disintegration of the family so kids not taught about sex and life or given the love they seek
•  parents not fulfilling their parenting role properly in providing for children's material and psychological needs
•  young people too attracted by material things that older 'sugar daddy' lovers give them
•  alcohol and substance abuse
•  unrestricted use of social media

Of course there is also concern that these girls are also exposing themselves to Sexually Transmitted Disease - not least HIV.

There is a call for schools and society to instil the importance of moral and ethical values when talking to their children about sex matters in an open manner.

Despite personal embarrassment and traditional shamefulness (taboo) of speaking about such matters, there is a call for it to be spoken about.

The reality is that it is sometimes spoken about - but among peers.  Without proper instruction and loving teaching from elders, that's all the kids are getting.

In a culture that hinges on honour and shame, traditionally elders don't overtly 'teach' the younger ones.  The younger ones just 'learn' by copying, and also realise through experience never to question an elder.  That means kids don't ask their parents, teachers etc about life's questions...they ask their peers - 'age-mates'.  It also means that if an elder requests sex, that request is not to be questioned....and if that elder offers material benefits and physical pleasures there is virtually no reason for a young person culturally to not 'go with the offer'. (Expensive gifts to show off, and the status of having a 'man' who picks you up in an expensive car all raise a girls honour status as well). And when they hear village elders saying to young women only a little older than themselves, things like 'when will you bring us a baby?', and knowing a girl becomes a 'woman' by giving birth, there is subtle but strong underlying incentive and pressure to have a baby.

As much as the newspaper article ended with a challenge that times are changing and thus traditions must change, there are deeper traditions of honour and shame deeply imbedded and culturally re-inforced in every fibre of their being from birth.  To just desire stronger moral ethics is not enough.  The youth have to be given a code of Higher Honour than tradition - the Honour bestowed by their Creator of His design and purpose from creation, but also the power and courage to live in that design and purpose that only can come through becoming part of God's family in Christ.

That's the message we long for them to know and live victoriously and courageously in.