Sex education is the need of the day

We don't have sex Ed in our curriculum yet. Children have curious minds, they resort to other sources like pornography. Actual sex is very different, the body type that porn promotes and average female body type is very different too. Even the number of registered cases of rape against women is very high in India, imagine the number of cases which are not reported . A lot of children are sexually abused and they don't even know what happened to them because they don't understand , they never heard about it , they don't even understand something bad happened to them how will they ask for help?

Sex is still a taboo word in India. People still can't accept different sexualities, there is a lot of victim blaming around rape cases. Girls are not taught about menstrual hygiene and they don't know enough about their body to take care of it. We are not taught about consent in schools ,Sex education not only encompasses consent but also sexuality, sexual health , sexual rights and much more than that. To fight these crimes along with strict punishments , we need to fight the problem at its roots. That is why I think Sex Education is very important especially in India. Sex Education India is an organisation founded by a group of adolescents who aim to initiate meaningful conversations around comprehensive SexEd. We post educational and interactive content on different aspects of sex education.

When asked this question to a village girl, this was her response. "As I live in a village, I am surrounded by the people who are uneducated academically, leave aside the sex education. A naked female body is totally unknown for many of them. They do not have any understanding of a female's body. I have come across guys who were unaware of some common dos and don'ts of sex. Pornography has misled them about sex. Foreplay and after play are alien words for them. Penetrative sex is “sex” according to them".

"Virginity is dignity, for a woman only, according to them. They don't know that hymen can break even while riding a bicycle. That thin layer of membrane has nothing to do with the character of a woman. They have never heard of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. They have misconceptions about HIV-AIDS. Contraceptive pills and female condoms are the words that they have never heard. Periods are taboo for them. They don't know about the problems faced by a woman during her periods".

"They are unaware that if a woman is not getting pregnant, the woman might not be at fault. Her husband's sperm count might be low. They curse the mother but a baby's gender is determined by the father. They have no knowledge of ideal gap of years between conceiving two children. Sex education is not just about a vagina and a penis. It's much more than that. Many Indians are unaware of opposite gender's body, sexual health, sexual hygiene and pregnancy. That's why I feel that sex education is must."

Sex has always been a “not to talk about” thing in India. People do not feel comfortable talking about it. Frankly, Sex isn’t that simple, it’s an art which you will learn when you do it (correctly) provided you have the right sex education. However, for many people, sex is nothing less than rocket science. That’s how hard people make it sometimes. Though the internet is full of information on sex many make us want that sex ed was relevant in the Indian Education System. People have such bizarre questions and doubts about sex which are enough to give you a heart attack. Like a real heart attack!

Rape is one of the most common crimes against women/men/lg-bt-q in India and it will continue to be until we decide to raise our voice and spread awareness against this hideous crime. Perpetrators in crimes that involve rape and assault are often misguided and have an illicit notion of sex. Lack of moral and sex education often triggers curiosity in a person which might lead them to choose the wrong paths in order to satisfy the needs of their body and mind. Therefore, sex education is a must at least in countries like India. Cheers!