Youth account for one in four new HIV cases

With one in every four new HIV infections in Guyana occurring among young people aged 15 to 24, healthcare providers warn that silence around sex education is putting lives at risk.

Director of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), Kobe Smith, on Wednesday said the schools must equip students with the tools to make informed choices.

“We need to give young people the tools to say, if it is that you do have sex these are the things you can do, you can use a condom, you can be screened, you can have access to an abortion if you become pregnant. We even need to let young people know that you’re not supposed to be having sex with adults,” Smith said.

Just days prior, Public Health Specialist Dr. Shanti Singh also raised concerns about the HIV statistics, forming a larger conversation about whether condoms should be in schools during her appearance on the Starting Point Podcast.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs at the most advanced stage of infection. HIV targets the body’s white blood cells, weakening the immune system. This makes it easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers.

Smith said people need accurate, practical information rather than vague or avoided discussions. He said that society has not been able to do that in a robust and meaningful way and the time is ripe for the government, private sector, civil society, faith based society, and parents to come together.

“You don’t want a situation where you are losing young people either you’re losing them to adolescent pregnancy which Guyana still has one of the highest rates in the region or in fact you’re losing them to HIV,” he said.

He said that these conversations must also address consent and exploitation, making it clear that relationships between underage people and adults are inappropriate and harmful.

While schools offer Health and Family Life Education (HFLE), Smith argued that the current approach is often not enough.

“A lot of times, we talk to young people, not with them,” he said.

He said that without credible guidance, many adolescents turn to social media and peers, increasing their exposure to misinformation and risky behaviour.