Youth Sexuality Programmes

30.5% of Anglican Youth aged 12-19 are sexually active. This was one of the disturbing results of a survey we recently completed. Our response to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS must be multi-faceted and bold.

• At present we are equipping our confirmation class teachers with skills to run the ‘Survivor Africa’ youth sexuality programme in their churches.
• We have sourced coloring books for all our Sunday school teachers around HIV/AIDS
• We are running  a peer education programme in 31 churches. It is called 'agents of change'
• We offer parenting workshops to our parents on how to talk to their teenagers about sex.
• We offer workshops to churches and come to their youth groups or confirmation camps to run these workshops.

Research

The research Fikelela conducted into youth sexuality in the Diocese of Cape Town is now complete. It makes for sobering reading. We conducted a survey in order to understand the gravity of the challenge, and to identify ways in which the Anglican Church might become more effective in dealing with issues of the sexuality of young people. The field research involved a detailed questionnaire, with 1,306 responses analysed, and three different focus group discussions. Respondents were between 12 and 19 years of age. The researchers visited them in their confirmation classes and youth meetings. Our research reveals that church-going young people are not excluded from the risks faced by others in society. Of the respondents 30.5% have had sex (40% Male and 21% Female). This is irrespective of geographical location L (32% Rural and 30% Urban). With regards to their first sexual experience, 90% of their first partners are friends or schoolmates, the venue was 75% at home or at their partner's place, and only 35% used contraceptives. Casual sex was common, 33% of those who have had sex have been with four or more sexual partners. Sexual violence also occurred as 6% of the respondents have been forced to have sex with someone else and of these, 12% have themselves demanded sex from somebody else.

Click here to download the full research document (format: PDF, size 0.82 mb)

Agents of change

This is a peer education programme which trains young people to go back to their churches and run a 20 session life skills programme. The goal is to raise the age of sexual debut, and decrease the incidence of unsafe sex.

Survivor Africa

This is a course for confirmation class. It is a seven week course focussing on sexuality from a Biblical perspective. We have recently revised the course and produced a booklet for learners.