The Pink Elephant

Talking about sex is considered a taboo in our country despite the fact that ours is the second most populated country in the world...

Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions has said that sex education is against Indian culture and ethos and there is absolutely no place for it in Indian society. It further noted that any introduction of sex education would only lead to promiscuity.  The committee stated that “there should be no sex education in schools (since) our country’s social and cultural ethos is such that sex education has absolutely no place in it.”  Denying that sex and sexuality are integral to any society would be turning the issue into a pink elephant.

Moreover, we have to remember that teenage sex and sexuality is a reality. Promiscuity is also a tricky word to apply to it. If we are talking about a ‘mass culture,’ who can claim that there was no teenage sexuality earlier in a country that still finds it hard to combat child marriage?

What is important to keep in mind is that stubborn refusal to implement sex education will only lead to unwanted pregnancies, health hazards and distorted sexual equations between boys and girls. 

Let us take a reality check -

• About 25 per cent of underage girls are having sex according to the report by the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India.
• 63% of the 350 schoolgirls interviewed by Sakshi Violation Intervention Centre (Delhi) in 1997 have been sexually abused.
• 30 to 35% of HIV patients are between 15-20 years of age according to the National AIDS Control Organisation.

This is where the necessity of sex education shows itself. An early and informed intervention can help create a positive attitude towards sex. A well formulated syllabus on sex education complemented by sensitive smart teaching methodology could yield the following positive results:

• Balance between the Sexes: In a society like India where the man woman divide leads to a lower security for women, sex education can help teach boys to respect women and not objectify them.
• Prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases: When most kids these days are either curious or are sexually active, then it is better that information regarding the dangers of STDs and other venereal diseases be provided to them.
• Prevention of AIDS/HIV: Contracting HIV means that you are done in by a terminal condition. Unless you are suicidal, you would like yourself and your partner to opt for safe sex.
• Awareness about Body: Most girls and boys in their teenage or childhood are either unaware of what counts as sexual abuse or are too afraid to come out and talk about their experiences. Sex education makes you aware of your power and dignity as an individual. In a society, where girls are mostly trained to be docile and even feel guilty for being raped, children need to know that it is not their fault.

It is the need of the hour that Indian society comes out of the veil and accepts the facts as they are. Denial does not solve any problem. Accepting the need for and then carefully implementing sex education for children is sure to bring about desirable results.