TEENAGE SEXUAL-ACTIVITY IN ZAMBIA - THE NEED FOR A SEX-EDUCATION POLICY

Data from a study of teenage sexual activity among secondary school gi rls show the need for a sex education policy as a first step in contro lling teenage fertility in Zambia. A large proportion of teenage femal es enter into close relationships with males at young ages and a high proportion of young females have engaged in sexual intercourse. Most o f these sexually active females do not use family planning methods eve n though a large proportion of them have heard of modern methods. The teenagers receive very little sex education from their parents and a m odem institutional sex education programme is needed.