Last week the media reported that 485 new HIV infections had been detected from Sri Lanka by October 31st this year and there are schoolchildren among them. The media report also pointed out that the number of new HIV infections among the age group 15 to 24 has increased significantly. The number of new HIV infections detected in 2021 was 411 and this number increased up to 607 in 2022 (last year).
We, Sri Lankans are more interested in instant death and that is why local media is full of news related to accident deaths, murders, suicides etc and not about deaths caused by AIDS, Cancer etc. Media has given more importance to sudden deaths than the deaths that occur due to long term factors. No matter when the victim dies or whether he/she dies or not, it is important to talk about AIDS, HIV and all related issues because Sri Lanka does not need a sick future generation.
According to the Consultants specialized on STD/AIDS, by now scientists have produced a single drug for HIV infected persons instead of few drugs and all HIV positive individuals can take this drug free of charge from State medical institutions such as STD/AIDS clinics etc. The confidentiality of all blood tests and everything else has been assured by the Government and therefore all vulnerable individuals should come forward, test themselves for HIV and get the free drug if the Consultants prescribe it. This is the current situation in Sri Lanka when it comes to HIV/AIDS.
There is no point going into details describing the reasons that stand behind the rapid increase of HIV infections in Sri Lanka because even a kindergarten child can point out those factors. Social destruction, cultural invasion and the negative changes that take place from generation to generation are some of those reasons. But it is obvious for all of us that we cannot change those things and those are beyond our control. No matter how hard we try to close the doors, the enemy has already entered our land and is now in action.
What can we do about it? This is the most important part of the entire issue. First of all, the experts who seek solutions to control this situation should very clearly understand the huge difference between sex education and pornography. This difference is similar to the earth and the sky and there is no way of connecting these two. Sex education saves schoolchildren from HIV while the pornography can infect them with HIV.
It is the mentality of individuals who are handling the sex education which matters here because their mentality decides whether to educate children on genitals, reproductive system etc. or encourage them to have sex and enjoy it. Experts can do both by simply compiling textbooks for schoolchildren. The other most crucial factor is addressing only the issue without equipping schoolchildren to face the challenges and win. Because of this situation, the schoolchildren become the victims of sex education. First of all the schoolchildren should be educated on the importance of becoming a full healthy and talented citizen through loving and caring for themselves. They should understand that they are priceless. Only then they will protect themselves.
Unfortunately no one tells how sex education can be given to children without encouraging them to have sex. What all Sri Lankan adults do is shouting and blaming each other after dividing into two groups. One group wants to give sex education to the schoolchildren and the other group does not want to do it. The war between those two groups takes place since HIV was identified by scientists in the world! This is how `Hathe ape potha’ (the sex education handbook for grade seven schoolchildren) became a hot topic in Sri Lanka some time ago and it was used for election campaigns!
Media should have been provided guidance to the experts and the society to solve the issue and walk forward aiming at making HIV positive cases zero by 2010 or 2020. But the issue is still dragging on providing some type of entertainment for the people. Media want to entertain them and not to solve problems. But now Sri Lankan people should pay their attention towards this issue because the country cannot go forward with a sick future generation. The population should be healthy in order to achieve any future target. The Buddha said health is wealth.
First of all, all educational authorities and all the other experts who are engaged in compiling textbooks or any other educational material for schoolchildren in order to provide them sex education should read the booklet named `Our best wishes for your blissful home’ (Sonduru Kedellakata Suwahasak Subhapethum) published by the Family Health Bureau of the Health Ministry with the sponsorship of the World Health Organization. This booklet which is in both English and Sinhala languages provides the guidance to produce a sex education book for schoolchildren. The book provides the best guidance of how sex education can be given without encouraging schoolchildren to have sex or use pornography. This book provides the best example for how to produce educational materials and NOT pornography. Unfortunately this type of valuable standard educational materials do not reach the target groups.
There is another extremely important factor to remember by all who are at the decision making level in the country. More HIV infections mean more funds, more foreign tours, more seminars and conferences at five star hotels, more benefits etc for all the NGOs which are ‘working’ to control HIV/AIDS here in Sri Lanka and less HIV infections means less funds, less foreign tours, less seminars and conference at five star hotels, less benefits etc for them. Do people love more money or less money? We have to ask ourselves this question. Only then we can realize the real ground situation of Sri Lanka when it comes to controlling HIV/AIDS! We all talk about cricket and how much foreign funds circulate in it. But more foreign funds circulate in HIV/AIDS control activities and organizations.
Since the so-called experts, educationists and Consultants do not have the required talent and creativity to produce a successful textbook to provide sex education for schoolchildren, they promote condom use among schoolchildren as a quick and easy solution. They are not willing to take the long and hard but harmless road. They go for instant noodles. They are not concerned at all about the `side effects’ of their solution. This does not mean at all that schoolchildren should be banned from using condoms. Encouraging schoolchildren to use condoms is the last solution in the list and it is NOT the first solution.
The third and final crucial factor is the connection that exists between HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ. According to the Consultants, LGBTQ are much more vulnerable to HIV than all the other people. Sex workers and LGBTQ take the lead when spreading the infection. But this connection should not be used to promote LGBTQ in the country. What has been happening in Sri Lanka is promoting LGBTQ instead of controlling HIV! Therefore all decision makers of Sri Lanka should very clearly understand that there is a huge difference between ensuring health rights of the LGBTQ which helps to prevent HIV infections 100 percent and promoting them. This does not mean at all that LGBTQ should be neglected, ignored or suppressed. The bottom line is preventing HIV infections is NOT promoting LGBTQ. Promoting LGBTQ does not prevent HIV infections at all. Suppressing the health rights of LGBTQ people increases HIV infections.
Now all the decision-makers in Sri Lanka have one extremely important task to do before giving sex education to the schoolchildren. It is NOT letting `hard workers’ who ‘work’ day and night to control HIV/AIDS here in Sri Lanka connected with experts who produce the sex education book for schoolchildren. It is because no one will work hard to lose his/her livelihood! No one likes to lose his/her job. Even a kindergarten child can understand this simple truth.
We need to save schoolchildren, youth and adults from HIV. We do not need a sick population in future. Therefore we need to stop the spread of HIV. Condoms help but it is not the only and the first solution. There are many other better solutions. Giving sex education for children is a must but it should be done in the correct way.
It should not face the same fate `Legalizing abortion’ faced. Still innocent Sri Lankan children who are being raped by their father, grandfather or brother give birth to infants because the law of the land do not allow them not to be child mothers. This single tragedy very clearly shows where we stand as human beings and the low level of our attitude and literacy.
