Sex education, including its spiritual aspects, should be a part of both health and moral education from kindergarten through grade twelve.
“Sex”, a palpable scruffy word in the lexicon of Indians is not only used to denote the two genders .i.e.male and female but also our third biological need, the need for reproduction. Unlike the first two biological needs of hunger and thirst, It serves as an impetus to menstruation in women and nocturnal emission in boys. It prepares the body for copulation when teenagers reach puberty.
In India, sexual intercourse is a topic that is often demurred as it is considered humiliating and immoral to converse, especially with the elders of the society. Yakking and even expressing about one’s own sexuality and sexual orientation is given the tag of vulgarity and shamefulness.
Just because sex is not essential for survival does not mean that it should be ignored. Every person does not have the same set of morale. A man can even steal to satisfy his hunger. Excessive suppression can lead to harrowing troubles, which can have horrendous effects on not only the person but the society as a whole. Lack of knowledge about sexual health and freedom in India poses a big threat to the uneducated from STDs (Sexually Transmitted Disease).
Moreover, as parents avoid conversation on this topic young adults seek new ways to get information from various sources which sometimes involve gory details. Their inquisitiveness can prove harmful when they try to get their answers through the internet and social media.
Pornography hugely dominates people’s knowledge about sex, most of them youngsters, which often vilifies sexist remarks against women. The images and acts it contains are ostensible to such an extent that their application in real life can result in a mental and sexual conundrum for more than one person.
Not only the act but also the physique and mannerisms portrayed are not authentic and are feigned beneath the veneer of enthralling bodies. Different types of sexual activities that involve verbal and physical aggression are normalised leading to a false and negative image being developed about sex.
Masturbation and nocturnal emissions are common issues in adolescence but they are not given frequent attention due to prejudices about sex education.
After all, it is the uncontrollable urge of men which justifies rape. Moreover, not only women but even children are becoming victims of sexual assault and trafficking. Unfortunately, due to the uncommonness of sexual awareness kids are not able to judge when they are being harassed and even if they feel unusual, they refrain from discussing their problems with the parents because of the social prejudices and parochial mindset. Even men are afraid of discussing their reproductive issues regarding erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, etc. as it is deemed an attack on masculinity.
In 2007, sex education was introduced by the National Council for Education, Research and Training in the curriculum and not as a separate subject. However, sex education was widely opposed and removed in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Goa. In May 2007, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan removed sex education from the curriculum on the advice of Dinanath Batra of Rashtriya Swayemsevak Sangh (RSS). Not only the parents but also the teachers protested against its introduction.Even talking about HIV/AIDS and STDs is regarded as scruffy and shameful.
The current structure of national programmes in India includes FLE (family life/sex education), introduced in the Indian curriculum by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development and National AIDS Control Organization. It aims at developing emotional stability and adequate decision making power in adolescents, providing sound knowledge regarding physical, psychological and social aspects of sexual behaviour so that it can be viewed as an integral part of the individual and acceptable in the society.
The analysis showed that 70% of the callers were below 30 years of age, while 33% were in the age group of 15–24 years, which indicates that young people do have the need but lack an adequate authentic source to receive appropriate and correct information positively. It also revealed that nearly 21% of men and 37% of women felt embarrassed while taking FLE. Thus FLEs should focus on culturally sensitive education.
A closer look at the demographic profile of the TARSHI helpline callers demonstrates that calls come from married individuals more so than unmarried individuals. This illustrates how queries do not only arise as a result of teenage experimentation, but sexuality information is also needed for those who are older and have spouses and careers and children.
Due to this societal intransigence, even the use of contraceptives and vasectomy is parochial. The main obstacle that is hindering the development of sex education is the mental imbroglio due to preconceived notions regarding copulation which needs to be succoured as early as possible. The transformation of psyche and views demand social flexibility and openness to welcome changes in order to ensure a progressive society.