Need to strengthen Adultery Act

THIS is to clarify the issues raised in two letters by Timothy and “Spardzwennar” (The National, Dec 8).
I presented two papers to the Legal Fraternity and Constitutional Law Reform Commission to review the Adultery Act in view of strengthening it with tougher penalties to deter the practice that is spreading STI and HIV/ AIDS, causing an increase in domestic violence and leading to death and tribal fights and eventual break-up of family units.
Some children, who are affected, may be forced to survive by turning to crime or prostitution.
This is one of the 10 public health interventions that I have developed and termed as “The PNG way to stop HIV/AIDS”.
The Post-Courier ran this document on Nov 11 and I urged both writers to read what I suggested in terms of the current sex education now introduced by AusAID in place of religious instruction by churches to develop young people’s sexual orientation to a matured and responsible sexual development.
This strategy will be for the Education Department to deal with as a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach to fight against HIV/AIDS.
It was not intended for the legal fraternity to deal with as it is irrelevant to their roles to act upon.
The second paper was for the legal fraternity and CLRC to review the Traffic Act and Regulation in view of including the international blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.05mg in the Traffic Act and Regulation to ensure the traffic officers and national road safety inspectors can use the breathanalysers to control drink driving that is the major cause  of Fatal Traffic Accidents causing millions of kina lost of properties, severe crippling disabilities and loss of innocent lives.
These two public health problems – increasing STIs and HIV/AIDS and fatal traffic accidents – are affecting the core productive and reproductive age group of 15 to 45 years.
They are preventable problems if we involved relevant the sectors to play their role.
I call on critics to analyse what is happening now with increasing school age pregnancy and sexual offence against minors.
Are we causing this rise because of sex education or do we have to reintroduce religious education so children can develop into responsible and matured sexual human beings?

Dr Thomas Vinit
Port Moresby