Sex Education in India

Sex Education in India

Summary: Sex education is one of the most debated topics in India. Politicians, experts, educationists etc. are still not sure whether sex education is necessary in India or not. A couple of years ago, this topic was untouched in regular education system.

Our Indian society is not open to discussions on topics like these. Exclusion of sex education at school level increases the ignorance and vulnerability towards the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in adolescents. Lack of awareness among youngsters, particularly in the age group of 14 to 18, and their involvement in sex switches on their curiosity button, which eventually results in some sex-driven mishaps such as rapes, molestations etc.

A country like India, where child marriage is a common phenomenon and practised in most of the regions, imparting sex education to youngsters is really a big challenge. According to one of the surveys, one in every six Indian women aged 15-19 bears a child. Dr Sunil Mehra, Director of the MAMTA Health Institute for Mother and Child, says, “Youth in India needs sex education more than in any other country since child marriage ensures that you not only have sex at a young age, you also have teenage pregnancy.”

Here in India, people think that discussions about sex-related topics would bring bad name for them. This is not only the case among the youngsters, but this scenario relates to Indian women also. In metropolitan cities too, adolescents don’t feel comfortable while discussing such issues with their peers, teachers and even with their parents. In this case, sex education at school or college level will help students to sort out their sexual health related issues. Experts believe that case for sex education in India is quite different from western countries. While dealing with such issues, we need to be more cautious while imparting sex education in India since wrong or half information can cause more harm than benefit to the society as a whole.

One of the most serious issues in India is facing or struggling with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Even though many people are suffering with HIV AIDS and out of the large number of HIV patients, a considerable number is between the age group of 20--30 years. Lack of awareness about the issue and hesitation in discussing and expressing the sex-related views is making the situation more complicated. HIV AIDS is not the only issue of concern, but pregnancy at an early age, sex at young age and other sexual transmitted diseases, mental tension and trauma related to it. As we lack in dealing with the problem effectively, we need to be more conscious about spreading the sex education among the youngsters.

Two years back, most of the state governments have excluded the sexual education from their curriculums. Many of the teachers and experts felt over the issue that it would corrupt the young minds, and it might be possible that after getting the sex education at an early age they might get involved into it. Many female teachers gave the argument that it will create more embarrassment for female staff and girl students at that level. After getting the negative response over the implementation of sex education at school level, most of the state governments decided to remove those topics from their curriculums. Gujarat is the only state which is an exception, and still imparting sex education to the young generation of the state. The state government has introduced a 'locally improvized' version for the sex education module, beginning this academic session.

People have mixed opinion over this issue; some of them are in favor of giving sex education at young age. They feel that delivering sex education at an adolescent age will help students to keep themselves away from such sex-related issues at an early age. It will also help them to understand that discussing the issues related to sexual health is not actually prohibited. Students should be given the right kind of counseling whenever needed. At schools level, a special cell should be created to deal with such issues and counsel students regarding their queries. Giving sex education at right time may help people to fight many sexually transmitted diseases. Sex education should be given in such a manner that it will not increase the involvement of young students into early age sex. Teacher should be well trained before conducting such sessions with students. If the schools are hiring counselors from outside, they should be expert in dealing with such sex related issues with adolescents.

It’s really a matter of great concern for our country, where we lack the basic health amenities. We should take more precautionary measures rather then just thinking about the cure of sex-related diseases. In India, where we have minimum resources and we want to get the optimum returns out of it, then we should introduce sex education at school level to youngsters to give them a healthier & more promising future.