http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/f49b798beafb70833c4ff053b33ea6fe.htmAFRICA: Tell us more – Children call for sex education 11 Dec 2008 23:43:25 GMT Source: IRINReuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone. DAKAR, 11 December 2008 (IRIN) - Children in sub-Saharan Africa want to know more about sex and how to protect themselves from HIV, but taboos surrounding children's sexuality can mean life-saving information is kept from them, according to an international NGO. Children in the region say they need access to sex education that is comprehensive, practical, and free from moral judgment, according to the report Tell Me More! by Save the Children Sweden (SC-S). The NGO researched children's views on sexuality, sex education, HIV prevention approaches and sexual identity in nine sub-Saharan African countries. "Adults think we're too young to know anything about sexuality. They don't explain things clearly. They don't want to give the information to children," Carine Hlomador, a 15-year-old AIDS activist from Togo, told IRIN during the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in the Senegalese capital Dakar. With nearly 1,800 new infections every day among children under 15 worldwide, some through sexual activity, sex education for children is vital to prevent the spread of HIV, Save the Children says in its report, released on 1 December. Right to information The 2001 UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS states that young people aged 15-24 should have access to information and services to protect themselves from HIV infection, and aimed to reach 90 percent of youths by 2005.