KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) says raising Jamaica’s age of consent will not deter teenage pregnancy, noting that the issue requires providing young people with comprehensive sex education.

This follows a call by Opposition Spokesman on Education, Damion Crawford, to increase the age of consent in Jamaica from 16 to 18 years to tackle the rate of teenage pregnancy in the country. He was speaking on Tuesday during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

READ: Raise age of consent to 18 to combat teenage pregnancies, says Crawford

“Given the realities of adolescent sexual behaviour in Jamaica, raising the age of consent may risk unnecessarily drawing more young people into the criminal justice system rather than protecting them. Any policy discussion must be grounded in practicality, evidence and the lived experiences of Jamaican youth, not moral panic,” said Africka Stephens, executive founder of FWCF, in a press release on Wednesday.

The organisation said teen pregnancy is a complex social issue that cannot be solved solely through legislative adjustment. It said during FWCF’s Youth for Reproductive Justice Project, funded by the European Union (EU) and the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS) and conducted in 2024/2025, direct engagement with young people revealed an important reality: many adolescents, including those younger than 16, are already engaging in sexual activity, with some beginning experimentation even before their teenage years.

It added that findings consistently showed that young people are not asking for stricter punishment; they are asking for stigma-free, comprehensive sexual education that addresses their real concerns.

“They want access to medical professionals, guidance counsellors and parents with whom they can discuss sexual and reproductive health openly, honestly and without shame. Raising the age of consent to 18 does not eliminate the unfortunate reality of teenage pregnancy,” FWCF said.

“What can significantly reduce teen pregnancy is access to comprehensive sex education, adolescent reproductive health centres across the island, family planning resources, and stronger collaboration between schools, families and healthcare professionals, particularly in rural communities where access remains limited. Initiatives such as UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Teen Hubs have already demonstrated the importance of youth-friendly reproductive health services,” it continued.

According to FWCF, teen pregnancy is influenced not only by age but also by poverty, social inequities, weak governance structures, limited access to healthcare, and insufficient support systems. Addressing these root causes must be the priority, it said.

The foundation further urged policymakers to focus on evidence-based interventions rather than symbolic legal changes that fail to address the root causes of teenage pregnancy.