South Africa Ponders Sex Education for 10-Year-Olds

South Africa’s Department of Health said Monday that children as young as 10 could be taught about safe sex.

“Is 10 too early or too late? We want to start as early as possible,” said Hope Mokgatlhe, spokesperson for the education ministry.

In their work on an education plan due next year, health and education officials are seeking to determine when children are old enough to learn the facts about sex.

According to a new health ministry report on HIV among pregnant women, almost 10 percent of 121 pregnant 10- to 14-year-old participants were HIV-positive.

Two years ago, a plan to distribute condoms in public schools was scrapped amid concerns it would encourage teens to initiate sex earlier.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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