| What is Sex Education? | |
Sex Education involves information about anatomy and functioning of Human Reproductive System.
Sex Education is not limited to sexual intercourse, but involves, age appropriate, cultural specific, and value based education about sexuality and sexual changes during developing stages, adolescence and adulthood.
Sex education makes person aware of the sex related changes in the body and its physical, as well as emotional effects. Thereby, one can not only avoid being victim of myths but also learn responsible management of natural sexual responses.
Sex Education about male as well as female systems helps both in respecting each other which can carry positive impressions for marital life.
| | | Why formal Sex Education has become necessity today? | |
For centuries, marriages were taking place during teenage or early adulthood. Today people get married between late twenties and late thirties.
Controlling sexual urge for more than a decade after gaining sexuality, becomes a challenge for men as well as women, more so, when favourable opportunity arises in life.
A girl, who is unable to identify the opportunistic love of male friends, falls prey to their seductive acts. This may sometimes be out of jealousy or competition or simply due to peer influence.
The sex education can not only forewarn our children on these issues but also make them aware of legalities involved in teenage sexual relationship.
Sex amongst minors even with consent of a girl may become serious criminal offence for a boy.
| | | But, today’s girls know everything about sex before they reach 15 yrs of age. | |
Sex education is not limited to knowledge of sexual intercourse. It does much more by explaining its implications in personal and married life, in addition to protecting a person from being victim of myths, misconceptions and sexual abuse.
Women were prevented from expressing their sexuality or sexual urges, for centuries. Whereas the present, socially progressive society has given them more opportunity to be in close proximity with boys while pursuing education and career.
In addition, sense of equality in every sphere of life today, has given enough courage to girls for expressing their sexuality and choosing a partner purely for the sexual pleasure.
Print as well as electronic media across the world and extensive exploration of internet facility has added enough fuel for justifying Teenage-Sex, Pre-Marriage Sex, or Sex for Pleasure.
In comparison to this freedom, there is very little done to make these youth aware of medical and legal consequences of their free sexual behaviour.
They are also unaware of psychological or mental trauma caused by a deserting partner even when the relation was purely for the purpose of sexual pleasure. This is because women by nature cannot enjoy sexual pleasure without having some kind of emotional attraction. They are likely to develop emotional bonding while or after having such ‘sex for thrill’ even when it is pre-decided between the boy and a girl not to have emotional bond or commitment
Girls are more affected by consequences like date-rape, teenage pregnancies, and abortion. This has definite harmful effect on their married life which most girls realize only after marriage.
| | | Is sex education less important for boys? | |
Of course not! Timely educating boys on sex education will help in developing their sexuality normally and protect them against ill effects of myths learned from friends.
Educating boys on sexual development in girls will not only make them understand the differences better but also help in developing respect for opposite sex.
However, it is usually the girl who becomes victim of harmful effects of being sexually active, which include depression due to desertion by boyfriend after enjoying sex, pregnancy, abortion as well as life time trauma.
| | | Animals do not need sex education, then why humans? | |
This argument is baseless.
Animals don’t wear clothes, and they learn from their parents as well as surroundings, whereas, for humans, sex is a private and personal matter. Hence, there is more chance of being victim of myths and doubts which a person may feel shy to ask.
In addition, we humans have issues like sexual abuse, marriage and family commitments by law including responsibility to protect our children. Whereas animals do not have issues of pregnancy, abortion, contraception, STDs and no social framework, legal obligations and fear of offence.
| | | What is the right age to give Sex Education? | |
Even in country like USA where strict laws exist and sex awareness begins at schools; every two minutes one case of sexual abuse takes place and this in most cases is by a close person or a person known to the family.
Hence, age appropriate sex education is the only way by which our children can protect themselves. What we mean by age appropriate education is; to teach the child what he or she needs to and wants to know according to their age.
Ideally sex education begins at birth. But, sex education varies as per the age of a child, and it does not mean telling everything that a married person ought to know. An 8 year old does not have to know what an 18 year old needs to know.
Giving this training before anything wrong happens is more important
This is similar to emergency instructions given in plane before takeoff, and not when emergency arises or after the damage has occurred.
With the rise in teenage pregnancies, sex related offences; it is high time that parents take initiative in this respect.
| | | Will Sex Education distract our children from studies? | |
Hormonal changes causing sexual development during growth of our child; causes distraction from their daily routine.
This distraction can get resolved, if and when they understand the purpose and mechanism of sexual growth and learn how to manage ‘changes’ in them, as well as untimely episodes of natural sexual urges.
Timely advice is most important
Fear that sex education will lead to experimentation, is baseless.
Knowing the risks every child will be deterred from any experimentation
After we teach our child the correct and safe way to cross the road, will the child run to cross the road in heavy traffic?
| | | Why we feel embarrassed to discuss sex? | |
For centuries, it was considered indecent or dirty to discuss the ‘Act’ of sex or subject itself.
It is associated with interpersonal intimacy and secrecy and any information about it is derived solely from personal experiences.
For example,
No father can frankly tell his son how he masturbated and that it is natural for everyone. Or No mother can actually explain her daughter how she gets an orgasm. Worst is no mother can comfortably guide daughter on how to develop her sexuality
Ignorance on this subject makes situation even worse. Most parents are neither trained nor have resources to answer the questions of younger generations.
Rarely any person will tell the truth about one’s personal experience because sex is a highly personal matter for the couple and its secrecy is essential for maintaining the bond between the partners.
| | | Sex is natural and instinctive; Then, why should it require formal training? | |
Educating our child on their sex related issues is as natural and important as their toilet training.
Giving right and age appropriate information to our child will save them from Sexual Abuses and intimidation which is on the rise in recent times.
Remember, sex offenders are skilled to find their victims
Moreover, we cannot stop our children from getting information from the sources available to them, which may be misguiding, wrong, harmful and inappropriate.
Therefore instead of point blank opposition, parents themselves must get educated sufficiently to guide their child with correct information when they approach them or share their advice.
For example, a girl in love can easily be pressurised to prove her true love on her first date itself by allowing sexual intercourse.
Sexual awareness provides a shield from probable assaults; it is now up to the girl/boy to take responsible decision by understanding the consequences.
Although, giving value based, age appropriate sex education is quite challenging even for professional Sex Educators, most parents can do it.
Sex education does not involve showing pornography or stimulating a child for sexual activity. It includes information for prevention as well as protection from sexual abuse
Proper sex education makes a child understand what exactly is happening to them during their growth period and how to manage it themselves.
Most importantly it teaches them whom to trust, in case of problems like sexual assault or abuse as well as for clearing doubts and confusion.
Sex Education is also essential to understand the implications of Law, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Contraception and answering Myths & Beliefs, all of which collectively affect the personal as well as married life of a person.
From whom we get sex education also makes the difference.
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