Pubdate: Tue, 09 Dec 2003
Source: Mail and Guardian (South Africa)
Copyright: Mail & Guardian, 2003
Contact:  http://www.mg.co.za/mg/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/254
Author: Erika de Beer

YOUTH SURVEY ASKS THE HARD QUESTIONS

More than eight percent of 10 699 pupils in grade 8 to 11 who participated 
in a nationwide survey reported having forced someone to have sex with them.

There was no significant difference in the prevalence among boys and girls, 
according to the first Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, which was released in 
Pretoria on Tuesday.

Almost 10% of the respondents probed last year said they had been forced to 
have sex at some stage.

Just over 40% -- about half of boys and a third of girls -- reported having 
had intercourse, with 14,4% saying they had their first experience before 
they were 14 years old.

Of those sexually active, 54% said they had had two or more partners. 
Almost 29% said they always used a condom.

Dr Priscilla Reddy of the Medical Research Council, who led the survey, 
told reporters that a study she did in the Western Cape in 1994 indicated 
condom use of only four percent.

Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was asked whether the latest 
survey, indicating that about 71% did not always use condoms, did not 
warrant a chance in the government's approach.

"What would excite me would be if they don't engage in sex, and therefore 
don't need condoms," she replied. "For us to focus on condoms for school 
children aged 13 or 14 is not right."

One should rather talk to them about abstinence, Tshabalala-Msimang said.

"You shouldn't even have a sleeping partner at 13."

Thami Mseleku, Director General of the Department of Education, said the 
29% using condoms was a good figure, given the difficulty children had in 
getting them.

Tshabalala-Msimang found the four percent obesity rate indicated in the 
report most startling. That could lay the basis for cardiovascular diseases 
and diabetes, she said.

"We think it's fun if our children have these fizzy drinks. We could do 
with oranges, naartjies and apples. You probably don't need chocolate. You 
probably just need rooibos tea."

Just over 17% of children were overweight.

About a quarter of the respondents indicated that they watched television 
or played video or computer games for more than three hours a day.

Nine percent were underweight, 11,4% were stunted -- too short for their 
age -- and four percent suffered from wasting -- weighing too little, 
considering their height.

Some 17,3% had made one or more suicide attempts in the preceding six 
months. Mpumalanga's figure was 23,1%.

Nationally, 19% had considered suicide.

According to the report, over nine percent of the children carried a weapon 
such as a gun, knife, panga or kierie to school on one or more days in the 
month preceding the survey. Almost 15% had been injured or threatened at 
school with such a weapon.

Close on one third had felt unsafe at school in the month before the 
survey, while over one-fifth felt unsafe on the way to and from school. 
Over 40% had been bullied.

Just more than 13% reported having assaulted their boyfriend or girlfriend, 
and a similar number had been a victim of such an assault.

Illegal drugs had been offered, sold or given an illegal drug to 17,2% at 
school during the six months preceding the survey.

Some six percent had used Mandrax, with similar figures for cocaine and 
club drugs. The figures for heroin and inhalants were around 11%, and that 
for dagga 12,8%.

Almost a quarter had engaged in binge drinking in the month before the survey.

About one in five pupils were considered to be current cigarette smokers. 
Nearly half of these had tried to quit over the preceding year, the report 
says.