WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2003-12-10 Posted By: Jan
From the News Archives of: WWW.AfricanCrisis.Org
Date & Time Posted: 12/10/2003 5:41:04 AM
S.Africa: Shocking Teenage Sex & Drug Survey
Your teenager has probably had sex. And many other youngsters have been forced into it.
These are among the findings of a study on youth risk behaviour conducted by the Medical Research Council (MRC), released yesterday by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
They show that teen behaviour displays a disturbing mirror image of the social ills afflicting society.
With the high prevalence of HIV/Aids and violence, the report shows that children as young as 14 are engaged in sexual activity (41%), while 70% of those have had one or more sexual partner
About 10% of pupils were reported to have been forced into having sex by other pupils.
Dr Priscilla Reddy of the MRC, who led the survey, told reporters that an earlier study in the Western Cape in 1994 indicated condom use of only 4%. This had increased considerably, but only 29% of teens were practising safe sex.
Tshabalala-Msimang was asked whether the latest survey, indicating that about 71% did not always use condoms, did not warrant a change in the government’s approach.
“What would excite me would be if they didn’t engage in sex, and therefore didn’t need condoms,” she replied. “For us to focus on condoms for children aged 13 or 14 is not right.”
One should rather talk to them about abstinence, she said.
“You shouldn’t even have a sleeping partner at 13. Our children should be encouraged to abstain. We used to talk about tightening of thighs – with no penetration, one would not need condoms,” the minister said.
Thami Mseleku, the director-general of the Department of Education, said the 29% using condoms was a good figure, given the difficulty many children had in obtaining them.
Other results of the survey – conducted among 10 700 pupils in grades 8 to 11 – showed that:
At least 9% of those surveyed had carried a weapon to school, including guns, knives, pangas or kerries;
About 15% had been threatened or injured at school, 19% had been injured in fights, a third felt unsafe at school and 40% had been bullied;
Half the children admitted having had alcohol before turning 13, with about 9% saying they had used dagga;
Of the children interviewed, 17% had been offered, sold or given an illegal drug at school, while 31% had experimented with smoking, 6% of them under the age of 10;
About 6% had used Mandrax, with similar figures for cocaine and club drugs. The figures for heroin and inhalants were around 11%, and for dagga 12,8%.
Almost a quarter had engaged in binge drinking.
The survey also gave an indication of the mental health of many teenagers, showing that many had feelings of emptiness, depression and hopelessness about their future. About 25% of the pupils have felt “sad”, resulting in 19% considering suicide.
While Tshabalala-Msimang was concerned about the issues of sex, violence and drugs, she said she was also worried about the issue of lack of physical activity and obesity among children.
“I am most startled by the figures which show that 17% of the children are overweight.
“Nearly 37,5% of them are not involved in any physical activities,” she said.
This could lay the basis for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, the minister added.
“We think it’s fun if our children have fizzy drinks, but they could do with oranges, naartjies and apples.
“You probably don’t need chocolate; you probably just need rooibos tea,” she said.
At the other end of the scale, 9% were underweight; 11,4% were stunted – too short for their age – and 4% suffered from wasting – weighing too little.
About a quarter of the respondents indicated that they watched television or played video or computer games for more than three hours a day.
The survey was aimed at establishing key risk behaviour.
It was conducted last year by the MRC in partnership with the departments of education and health among 10 700 pupils in grades 8, 9, 10 and 11 at government schools in all nine provinces.
The departments are expected to engage the affected children in mapping out an action plan.
Source: The Star, Johannesburg
URL: http://www.star.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=12…br>