Eh, you! Yes, you who are reading this article. I need you to do something for me.
I have done this exercise on numerous times and each time I have come to the same conclusion. I am curious to find out if your conclusion is similar to mine.
If you are standing, I need you to sit, close your eyes and just think about your family, your community, your work colleagues, your friends and this nation.
Have you reached the same conclusion as I have, that the irresponsible use of a penis and a vagina has messed up tons of people’s lives? That premarital sex, “promiscuity” and adultery have caused so much pain in the lives of hundreds, thousands, even millions of people?
Think about the number of marriages, relationships and friendships that have been destroyed. Think about the number of men who commit or try to commit suicide. Think about the number of females whose hearts are crushed. Think about the number of children who are torn between parents because of divorce. Think about the number of children who suffer daily as a result of neglect as a result of unwanted births. Think about the number of children who are aborted every day due to unwanted pregnancies.
Think about all those people who had to abandon going to school. Think about the shame, guilt and embarrassment people live with all their lives. Think about all the careers that have been ruined. Think about all the people who have been used, misused and abused. Think about all the single-parent homes. Think about how the spread of viruses and diseases has significantly increased. All of this because of irresponsible Mr Penis and Ms Vagina.
Sex is good. Actually, sex is great. But we see it can cause great pain, shame, guilt and resentment once taken outside the boundaries of what it was created for. Some may view boundaries as limitations or hindrances, but boundaries have two purposes: to keep things in and also to keep things out.
Irresponsible Mr Penis and Ms Vagina can and do cause many issues in the lives of scores of people; one such issue is that of HIV/Aids. Within the Caribbean, many know of the Live Up – Love, Protect, Respect campaign that seeks to encourage people across the region to help stop the spread of the disease and reduce the discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
I believe this is an excellent programme and it is evident that much thought, discussion, research and planning went into it. Despite all of this I have a major concern.
The majority, if not all, of the Live Up videos I have viewed that spoke about protecting oneself, spoke only about condoms and knowing the status of one’s partners. Although these are two valid measures of protection, there are two others that are never mentioned: abstinence and being faithful.
I was told that Live Up has done videos with an abstinence message. If this is true, why hasn’t this message been shared in any of the videos shown in Barbados?
I had a shocking experience while browsing the Live Up website. I placed my cursor over the “Check Up” tab and then clicked “Protect Yourself”, and to my surprise abstinence was the number one method being advertised. This has never been encouraged in any of the videos telecast in Barbados.
Condoms have a place, but research has shown that when some partners become familiar, they stop using condoms. In this Caribbean culture there is an equal and urgent need to let people know that abstinence and being faithful are relevant and possible.
Yuh know, I find it quite amazing yet mind-boggling that abstinence and being faithful are the two protective measures that are 100 per cent safe, yet they are not advertised and marketed vigorously. It really amazes me.
Don’t misunderstand me. The condom message is valid, but the abstinence and being faithful messages are of greater importance. All will not support the latter two, but some will.
I am 29 years old, and I abstained until I was married two years ago, and I continue to be faithful to my wife.
It is possible.
• Corey Worrell is a former Commonwealth youth ambassador. Email coreyworrell@gmail.com
