BY KIMONE THOMPSON Associate editorTuesday, April 23, 2013JAMAICAN-American actress and HIV/AIDS activist Sheryl Lee Ralph is in support of a suggestion made by the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) that children have access to condoms and other preventive measures, including comprehensive sex education."(Kids) should absolutely have access to condoms. They should absolutely have access to informed conversation. They should have access to everything they need to make a better choice for themselves, and that includes whether they have sex or don't have sex," she said."Let them know that oral sex [and/or] anal sex does not make you a virgin. You have to talk to your kids about these things," she continued.Ralph, who is the face of Government's HIV response, was speaking to the Jamaica Observer by phone yesterday. She is in the island for a reception at 6:30 this evening where the partnership will be announced by Minister of Health Fenton Ferguson.Through her DIVA Foundation, Ralph will generate resources and produce artistic events to raise awareness in Jamaica about HIV/AIDS. The DIVA Foundation was founded in 1990 as a memorial to the many friends the actress lost to the disease. It uses music, entertainment and voice as vehicles."With her help it is hoped to increase the visibility of the national HIV response and raise funds towards the sustainability of HIV treatment, care and prevention services in Jamaica," the ministry said in a release yesterday.Ralph said she was "stunned and happy" when approached by Government, and that she is looking forward to putting things in motion to effect change, particularly because she's been able to accomplish much on the global stage, but never in Jamaica."I'm hoping that together and with the leadership of Dr Harvey we're gonna be able to make wonderful things happen," she said yesterday.In the March 24 edition of the Sunday Observer, chair of the NFPB Dr Sandra Knight, argued that given the increasing rate of teen pregnancies and STIs — even among those below the age of consent — medical practitioners should be able to legally issue condoms and conduct sexual education sessions with adolescents."Why should we not? Ralph asked yesterday when the matter was raised. "We are the people who believe that prevention is better than cure. If we believe that, start talking to our children soon and early. Don't start talking to them about condoms after they've had two and three children by their 17th birthday! What is that about?""Don't not talk to them about these things when you know for a fact that you didn't pay for your daughter to get that set of nails; when you know for a fact that you didn't pay for her to get that hairstyle. These are honest conversations that we must have," Ralph argued, adding that when young people are armed with proper information they are able to make better choices."I think you do young people (and) children a great disservice when you hide things from them; you turn it into some sort of Pandora's box, and that should not be happening," the actress said.In addition to access to sexual reproductive methods, the TV and Broadway star argued that adolescents should also have access to STI screenings. Had we started earlier, she argued, AIDS on the island would not be what it is today; it would not be a young people disease."I believe we should have an age-appropriate curriculum on sexual health and well-being, especially when we live in a society where most young men have had their first sexual experience before 15 [and] when the youngest of girls, at age 10, have already been sexualised," Ralph added."I believe that we have got to get right with how we feel about sex and stop acting like people are not going to have it. I think we should be able to talk about abstinence just as much as we talk about sexual responsibility and I believe that these are things that should be talked about early on."See, if we don't talk to our young people first, somebody else will, and the information they give them is not necessarily what we want them to hear, know or have," the HIV activist said. Click here [1] to read more