T&T has a highly sexualised culture which is reflected in the incidence of Carnival babies and teen pregnancies. That was the view of Minister of State in the Ministry of the People and Social Development Dr Lincoln Douglas who spoke at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) T&T's Knowledge Fair to mark the milestone of seven billion people in the world at the Brian Lara Promenade, Port-of-Spain, on Monday. "In T&T we have a very sexualised culture. That is clear because in October or November which is exactly nine months after Carnival we have an increase in birth rates. Obviously we are highly influenced."
Douglas said teenage pregnancies was one of the main contributors to an increase in population and was also attributable to "our culture in T&T which is a highly sexualised culture." He said teen pregnancies posed a challenge for any nation as there were increased risk factors for girls such as delays in their personal development, more pressure on the resources of the nation in terms of health and security and increased cost factors in combating HIV and Aids.
