Sex-Can-Wait campaign

Every year, millions of girls (approximately 3million) often between the ages of 15-19 years are involved in early active voluntary or involuntary sexual practices and as a result, so many consequences; including unwanted pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and STIs. Furthermore these young adolescents also get involved in unsafe abortions leading to even more complicated long term dangers like cervical cancer, infertility and of course death. Adolescents make up 23% of the population in Cameroon and recent research has shown that the age for debut of sexual intercourse in girls is from 15 years hence making this age group (15-19) most vulnerable to the above complications.

 

The ongoing Anglophone crises in Cameroon does not only place the nation at a very insecure state, but makes the situation even worse as many youths have dropped out of school increasing the probability for early engagement of their sexual lives. It for this reason that Value Health Africa in collaboration with the Mandela Washington Fellows Cameroon and Center for Youth and Family Empowerment carried out a Campaign titled; SEX-CAN-WAIT Campaign on the 20th of January 2017 at the MECUDA Hall Mbengwi headed by Dr Lilian Ngwongem Ngwana Ep Banmi(Deputy CEO Value Health Africa) and sponsored by the American Embassy under YALILEARNS. This campaign was aimed at raising awareness on the consequences of early engagement into sexual activities, its social impacts, and to encourage delay-sex among youths for healthier sexual and reproductive lives.

Activities carried out included; 

 

• Motivational talks from the Team where some of the team members shared their experiences to encourage productivity among the youths, 
• Education on Sexuality and Adolescence, where the youths where taught on changes to expert during growth and how to accept and handle the changes and where to go in case of complications arising from these changes.
• Education on human rights and rights to reproductive health. In this session the youths were educated on some of the basic human rights they have as youths and rights to their reproductive health and where to go incase their rights are being abused.
• Education on STEM where they were enlightened on their various career paths and subjects to take in order to be more productive in their career.
• Education on the adoption of healthy eating habits and One-on-One counseling and couching by Team Members.

 

 Young girls being educated on their sexuality ,ways of preventing unwanted pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and STIs.