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This week, hundreds of Grade 9 to 12 learners at Maitland Secondary School are having frank conversations about sex, contraception, teenage pregnancy, peer pressure, sexual exploitation and violence. Developed in response to the school's current high rate of pregnant learners, this special school intervention forms part of a week long programme to discuss with the community how to reduce teenage pregnancy. The programme is being implemented throughout the Maitland area by the Sonke Gender Justice Network, with support from SAPS, the City of Cape Town and Maitland Secondary School.

Currently there are seven pregnant learners at Maitland Secondary School alone, and nearby clinics who provide health services to the school have reported high numbers of learners seeking termination of pregnancy services. "It's not that these teenagers are having sex," says Aadielah Maker, Special Programmes Adviser at Sonke Gender Justice, "they are having unprotected sex, which means that they are vulnerable, not only to unplanned pregnancy, but also to HIV and other STIs."

Mr Kenny, principal at the school, points out that Maitland Secondary School attracts learners from various parts of the city and from a wide range of backgrounds. "Maitland Secondary School is not a 'community school' but is rather a window into what is happening in communities across the City and indeed the country," he says. Through their ongoing proactive engagement with the local clinics, and organisations such as Sonke Gender Justice, the school has been able to recognise the urgency of the situation and work with partners to start creating a solution.

The school intervention is one step towards ensuring that young people have the knowledge to protect themselves from disease and prevent pregnancy. The first day of workshops with the learners has shown a lack of knowledge regarding pregnancy, STIs and contraception. "Learners don't know that you can get pregnant or get HIV the first time you have sex." reports Pierrette Disanka one of the facilitators. "They don't know how to correctly use a condom."

"We do learn about these things in school," reported one Grade 12 learner after participating in a session on contraception, "but it isn't enough. Sometimes you feel shy to ask your teacher who you see every day!"

More than facts, the learners need the courage to make responsible choices. In many of the sessions, the youngsters were saying the right things, "It's not peer pressure. You choose to have sex, you choose not tell the boy to wear a condom. You choose not to go to the clinic. Your friend is not there taking your clothes off." But the continued high rates of pregnancy show that these messages have not been sufficiently internalised.

The conversations with learners have also shown how important it is to get boys talking about these issues. "The boys tend not to speak out in the sessions," commented Nellie Ohanjunwa. "We need to draw them out and get them talking." This is Sonke's area of expertise and facilitators proactively engage the young men in the discussions. Teenage pregnancy is not just a problem for girls. When asked how he would respond if his girlfriend came and told him she had an STI and that the clinic wanted him to go back there with her, one young man noted, "It's not easy to go with her. I want to keep my status personal." In turn, when the girls were asked how their boyfriends would respond if asked to use a condom they said, "Boyfriends won't accept it. Guys believe you shouldn't wear condoms."

These deep seated perceptions and attitudes about men's preferences, health seeking behaviour, and what men should and shouldn't do, need to be challenged if young men are to play their part in preventing unwanted pregnancies and the spread of HIV and STIs. Engaging youngsters in conversations about medical circumcision and other sexual reproductive health and rights issues is essential.

The week's activities culminate in a community meeting at the Congregational Church on Norfolk Street in Maitland on Friday 31 Aug from 10:00 to 12:00. All interested parties are welcome.

Sonke Gender Justice Network works across Africa to strengthen government, civil society and citizen capacity to support men and boys to take action to promote gender equality, prevent domestic and sexual violence, and reduce the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS.

In this way the organisation contributes to the development of societies in which men, women, youth and children can enjoy equitable, healthy and happy relationships that contribute to the development of just and democratic societies.