There should be no issue giving sex education to young people. Knowing about their body is necessary, the parents should take the responsibility to provide the knowledge and awareness a young mind needs to know. Access to comprehensive sex education is a human right. Society should not leave it to the internet to brainwash a kid’s mind with incomplete knowledge and set sexual standard values.
A comprehensive set of knowledge and process of learning the emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality is sex education. Puberty, menstruation, contraceptives, condoms, sexual violence prevention, sexual orientation, gender identity and body image etc. are included in sex education. Sex education provides the importance of own well being and health and others, it gives better understanding and the protection of the rights throughout their lives. People have so many misconceptions about providing sex education. Many people think teaching children sex education is equivalent to permitting them to engage in sexual intercourse, which is actually the opposite of it.
Engaging in sexual intercourse is their choice and if they are, they should be aware of the consequences and how to prevent diseases and unintended pregnancy. Having knowledge, skills, values will empower them to realize their health and well being and their dignity and have respectful social and sexual relationships. Sexually aware students are most likely to say no to unprotected sex. Sex education should treat sexual development as a normal human development. But this is not enough, Children are perplexed and demand honest answers. Comprehensive sex education should provide honest, age-appropriate information.
Every child should know that they can decide who can touch them. Puberty brings out dramatic physical and mental change to an unprepared child. Sex education should be mandatory in school. Parents should not be allowed to opt-in or opt-out of something they are going to need in their life. Sex education doesn’t increase the engagement of a child to sex but actually does the opposite. Here are some reasons to support sex education in school:
The objective of sex education is to help children, teenagers understand the body of men and women and improving their attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health behaviors. Understanding the differences and similarities between the genders will help them to know more about their body and how it changes as they grow up. This mindset will set up a foundation for future development in acquaintance with their friends or lovers. Sex Education sow a seed of responsibility in one’s mind towards others as well as oneself. It is about self-acceptance and embracing one’s body.
Sex is already taught over the internet in a poorly manner. Children are curious, they gather information about sex before the parents can even imagine. Sex Education helps the kids understand their bodies and feel optimistic about the body. Many parents prepare their daughter for menstrual periods and son for his first nocturnal emission. But some don’t which later on instill a feeling of fear and distress in the mind of a teenager. Unexpected onset of blood immediately creates connectivity to a disease. Mothers need to change their wrong attitudes towards menstruation. Boys need to be taught something about menstruation too. This helps later when a man has to cope up with his wife’s pain, mood swings and premenstrual tension.
Sex education works best when there is mutual trust, comfort, and safety among themselves. Here are some ground rules that have to be followed:
- Asking questions indicate the desire to gain knowledge.
- Respect for each other.
- Correct use of body terms and activities.
- It is possible that the teacher may not know the answer to the questions.
- Students should not discuss information/situations of other students in the class.
- Gender equality should be taught and LGBTQ+ individuals should not be mentioned in a derogatory manner.
- Students should be given right and primitive information.
- Students are open to discuss any issue in the class related to Sexuality.
- If a student is not comfortable in answering a particular question then he/she is free to pass the specific question.
Majority of parents in India seem to shy around such topics and feel uncomfortable to even pronounce the word. They believe these things are natural and their child will come around as he/she ages. They refer to ignorance as an assurance but the time has changed, somehow children acquire inaccurate knowledge about sexuality. It is the responsibility of the parents and the teachers to make them socially and sexually aware. Sex education should be compulsory in every school. Comprehensive sex education is important for young people to prepare themselves for any bodily changes and maintain their healthy and hygienic well being. Sex education doesn’t promote to have sex, which should be realized by the parents and the society.