HUNDREDS OF TEENAGERS danced to the latest tunes as Dance4Life held its The Big Event at the Barbados Concorde Experience last week.
Entertained by acts like Kirk Browne, Anderson Blood Armstrong, Porgie & Murdah and other
well known artistes, the teenagers were also told by Dr Antone Best about the importance of getting tested and the ramifications of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
The doctor explained to his youthful audience that an STI like gonorrhea was asymptomatic and was transmitted easily because people did not know they had contracted the disease.
In addition, he told them that STIs could lead to other long-term consequences like cancer.
Programme manager of Dance4Life Barbados, Shakira Emtage-Cave, said the event coincided with the launch campaign by the programme’s youth council, which was demanding medical
access for all young people “for STI purposes”.
She said because young people now had to have the consent of parents to seek medical attention, some opted to wait until they were 18 to see a doctor.
Emtage-Cave added that Dance4Life was an international youth programme that was introduced
to Barbados in 2009.
“We work within the schools and we work very closely with the guidance counsellors,” she said, adding that the programme focused on addressing risky behaviours, building leadership skills as well as counteracting bullying. (HLE)
