“You can’t put a price on good health!” so goes the tune these junior high school students are singing as they take part in a long-awaited sexual education class. According to a recent survey, here in Pikine -- a popular neighbourhood of Dakar -- 95% of the children claim they do not know how or where to find reliable information when it comes to pregnancies and sexually tansmitted diseases (STDs).

These things still remain taboo in Senegalese society; many children say they don’t feel comfortable confiding in their relatives. Alimatou, junior high school student: “Children don’t talk about these things with their parents. There are limits… Parents are sometimes bothered by this or they fear that if they talk about that to their children, it might be perceived as indecent. Or parents will worry, thinking their child has something on their mind…”

“Synergie Banlieue” or “Suburb Synergy” is the name of the association that carried out the survey. They are pushing schools to take a more active role in adding sexual education classes to the curriculum.

Not the easiest task - for a start, each class has an average of 80 pupils, and there are just 4 junior high schools for the district's 1.5 million population. Abdoulaye Sall, school principal: “School is in fact the best and most appropriate place to implement sexual education!” “And when it comes to the parents?” “I believe the parents approve this: they know those who will explain these things to their children have the teaching skills to do so: they won’t be shocking them. There are many ways to convey a message!”

 

In Senegal, one person out of 5 loses their virginity before their fifteenth birthday. Young people aged 15 to 24 account for 45% of new HIV infections. It's a trend that may be hard to break unless more information about how the virus is spread is made available. Conservative values are also hindering efforts… Khadidjata, junior high school student: “Can you ask your mother on how you can protect yourself from the HIV virus? Can you ask her this question?” “I cannot, really… that’s out of the question!” “Why?” “Well it’s too embarrassing!” Despite the local authority’s promise to build a health and HIV information centre, the children of Pikine are still waiting…