The Editor, Sir:

I wholeheartedly support the call made by Senator Scott-Bhoorasingh in the Senate for our young people to be educated in the matter of abstinence.

This call by the senator echoes the desire expressed by Caribbean young people at the 1998 Caribbean Youth Summit held in Barbados. One of the resolutions which was adopted by the summit had to do with the "right to choose abstinence as an option as part of their right to control and make informed choices about their sexuality." The fact is our young persons are, for the most part, not being taught theskills of abstinence.

A year or two ago, as I entered a classroom of young boys, I saw on the black board questions relating to HIV/AIDS. I learned subsequently that a visitor from an agency had just taught the class on the subject. The question was: 'What can I do not to get HIV/AIDS?"

Out of curiosity, I repeated the question to the boys. All who answered told me the same thing: "Use the condom, Miss". Not one of them said 'Don't have sex."

I then proceeded as best as I could to explain about abstinence. At the end of the class one fellow came and said 'Thank you, Miss'. He was grateful for the understanding that he did not have to engage in sexual activity and that in so doing, it did not make him any less of a person.

We underestimate our young people when we give them the impression that they must and will engage in sexual activity. What we need to do in this country in order to deal with teenage pregnancy and the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS among our young people, is to wholeheartedly adopt abstinence as the first line of attack.

The policy of the Ministry of Health, where persons under 16 are able to access contraceptives without parental knowledge or consent runs counter to an abstinence policy. Really, this contraceptive policy ought to be reconsidered.

What do the Prime Minister and Mr. Golding have to say on these issues? Can we hear please? We would like to exercise our vote intelligently.

I am, etc.,

S. RICHARDS

Kingston 10