literally teach me would make the parents fall flat on their backs were they to hear the comments, concerns and experiences of their 'innocent children!' Coming ...
We are reading and hearing, but are we seeing? The other day I gave a talk to some teenagers, at a London organisation, on sexually transmitted infections (STI) that included chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, chancroid, genital warts and HIV/AIDS. My style of sharing (not teaching) is to show colour pictures/slides of the STI and get the audience or participants to tell us what they see and what they think it is. I have been using the Teaching aids At Low Cost (TALC) slides since 1992, in Botswana. I have learnt equally from these slides as the participant(s) tell us what they see and share with us their experiences. Mine is to 'build on' what has been left out and to 'clarify' some stories, beliefs and mis-information. Experience in showing the TALC slides in London has taught me to have separate sessions for the adults and the teenagers, as they 'inhibit' each other. What the teenagers literally teach me would make the parents fall flat on their backs were they to hear the comments, concerns and experiences of their 'innocent children!' Coming from a different culture in Africa, my sexual health lessons are on course clinically and through the social intercourse(s) I am having with the teenagers. Whereas a number of the teenagers had 'somewhat heard' of these infections but 'never seen them' was vital in our discussions. So the starting point has always been to start with apologies for having to show the infected penises and vaginas and giving an option for the 'faint-hearted' or is it 'sensitive' participants to walk out. Usually the teenagers and youths have NEVER walked out. Some parents walked out in the early days, in the 1990s, in Botswana, as they felt 'insulted' culturally. That has also changed in this era as we all play our role in addressing the increase in STI. It is interesting to note the surprises that come with seeing a picture of a painless syphilitic ulcer and the silent chlamydia, that do not disturb the pleasures of sexual intercourse and 'outings'. A few of the male participants tend to talk of how they know of 'somebody' who had the 'clap' or 'drop', got treated and never told the female partner as 'she never complained of pain!'
In the same vein, some females have shared their experiences of 'painfully finding out from the GP, when I thought I was fine' and not from the boyfriend! As with the teenagers in Botswana, I am observing almost the same pattern of how the teenagers learn their sexual health from their peers, whom they discuss sexual intercourse matters with and how the spirit of 'adventure' and growing up sexually tends to block our 'safer sex' strategies as the parents are 'too shy or embarrassed' to talk about sex with their children. The teenagers blame the adults or parents for the rise in the STI, while the adults blame the teenagers! We are all to blame. Furthermore, the teenagers here in Europe have access to the internet, uncensored media and adult magazines to add 'some spice and variety' as told by one 15 year old and supported by another who described the resources as 'wicked (told to mean very good or latest)!' The health care workers are justified in being worried as they 'see' the rise of the STI in the clinics, apart from the compiled statistics. The sexually active are hearing of these STIs rising, but are they 'seeing' them rising? The sexually active population only read the compiled statistics, they do not not 'see' what the health care workers are seeing! Giving out pamphlets on STI to the general public is one thing. Face to face communication and empowerment and then giving out the pamphlets is another thing. ‘Seeing is believing!’
