Access to health care vital

Barbados’ Senior Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand, has warned that the Caribbean region must find a way to delay the first sexual encounter of adolescents.

Speaking at the launch of the UNFPA’s 2013 State of the World Population Report at United Nations House last Friday, she explained that a recent study conducted in Barbados showed that children are having sexual intercourse at very early ages.

De-Jane Gibbons (left), Assistant Representative UNFPA,
presents the 2013 State of the World Population Report to
Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand, Barbados’ Senior Medical
Officer, Ministry of Health.

The survey included 1 629 participants from secondary schools across the island where 44.9 per cent of boys and 25.9 per cent of girls indicated that they have already had sexual intercourse.

“Boys were significantly more likely than girls to have been sexually active or to initiate sexual activity before 14 years of age and to have two or more sexual partners,” she said.

This is not peculiar to Barbados, however, as adolescents in the Caribbean have been found to become sexually active at an earlier age in comparison to those in other regions.

What poses a major challenge is the discrepancy between the age of consent and the age to gain access to health-care services.

“With regards to health services, many countries in the Caribbean have restricted access to adolescents, especially to vital reproductive health needs. The restriction of the allowed age of consent which is 16 years versus the allowed age of access to health care which is 18 years has major implications for older adolescents,” she lamented.

However, Dr. Heather Harewood, Medical Officer of Health, assured those gathered that the matter was being dealt with since it was recognised to be a major hindrance in the battle to reduce adolescent pregnancy. She revealed that the Draft Adolescent Health Policy is currently before Barbados’ Parliament and it addresses this ongoing issue.

It was pointed out that the recent events in Barbados in relation to adolescent sexual behaviour makes this report very timely. (RB)