THE CUBAN BISHOPS CONFERENCE are concerned about a new sex education campaign to be launched by the Ministry of Education.
The ministry announced its plans June 16 for a massive sex education program aimed at 6- to 25-year-olds as the incidence of Cuban youth with sexually transmitted diseases continues to rise.
“We will launch an open campaign that will not hesitate to show condoms to six-year-old kids,” said epidemiologist Rolando Ramirez, who will head up the national program. According to Ramirez, the Union of Young Communists as well as the “Pioneers”—6- to 15-year-old members of the Communist Party—will be involved in promoting the campaign.
A Catholic Church spokesman who requested anonymity said the bishops question whether the program is attacking the causes of the problem or, instead, fostering the spread of sexual diseases. The spokesman noted the problem of sexually transmitted diseases is also tied to the increasing number of foreign “sex tourists” coming to Cuba's new beach resorts. (Alejandro Bermudez)