Sex Education is a type of education which involves acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behaviour. Sex education is also referred to as Sexuality Education as it covers all aspects of sexuality including dating, relationships, sexually transmitted infections etc.
Most teenagers and adults are familiar with the different parts of our bodies and how they function. But, when it comes to sex many of the adults too, don't have sufficient information leave alone teenagers. Nowadays, Sex education is not just an option but also a necessity for all. Children past the puberty stage need to be informed not only about body parts and the reproductive system but they are also supposed to learn in detail about relationships and safe sex, as these will teach them how to act responsibly when the time comes.
For sex education to be effective, it needs to include opportunities for young people to develop skills, as acting merely on the basic information is not enough. General life skills are linked to skills the young people develop as part of sex education. So the useful life-skills like communication, listening, negotiating, asking, advising are very much applicable to sexual relationships. But teenagers lack the ability to apply life skills in a sexual relationship. Thus Effective sex education develops young people's intellect in negotiation, decision-making, assertion and listening. Other important skills include being able to recognize pressures from other people and to resist them, dealing with and challenging prejudice and being able to seek help through the family, community and health and welfare services. Not only this but Sex education that really works also equips young people with the skills to be able to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information and become aware of a range of moral and social issues and perspectives on sex and sexuality, including different cultural attitudes and sensitive issues like sexuality, abortion and contraception.
Why Sex Education?
Sex education is a very important subject that every child needs to know. The concept of the child’s sexuality needs to be focused upon sometime in their life, most preferably before they reach puberty. It not only makes them a better person with the right values in the process but it also prepares them for the adult life ahead. Providing information through sex education is about finding out the level of awareness young people have and increasing their existing knowledge and correcting any misinformation they may have. For example, young people may have a misconception that condoms are not effective against HIV/AIDS or that there is a cure for AIDS. It is important to provide information which corrects mistaken beliefs. Without correct information, young people can put themselves at greater risk.
Young people get information about sex and sexuality from a wide range of sources including peers, media advertising, television and magazines, as well as leaflets, books and websites are intended to be sources of information about sex and sexuality.
Importance of Sex Education
- It is important for the development of well- informed attitudes and views about sex and sexuality.
- Sex education is necessary to reduce unprotected sex.
- To prevent sexually transmitted disease and AIDS.
- To equip individuals to make informed decisions about their personal sexual activity
- To protect oneself from abuse and exploitation arising from sex illiteracy
- Proper Knowledge of contraceptives - how they work, how to use them, what to use or not, and how they can be obtained.
- Full knowledge of Human Anatomy.
- Awareness about Physiological Changes during Puberty.
- Necessary for leading a healthy life.
- People who are aware tend to advise on safe practices thereby increasing awareness.
Problems Related to Sex Education
- Knowledge from Misinformed Sources: Peer knowledge often guides youth about sex which most commonly is improper. Such youth t, therefore,o not care about sex education as they think they are already informed.
- Lack of Guidance by Parents: Sadly some kids have parents who fail to understand what it means to give their children the right amount of attention
- Taboo: A lot of parents actually feel very uncomfortable in doing so. It is essential to remember that part of your child’s future depends on a good sex education coming from their own parents.
- The absence of Parents: Unfortunately, not all parents are there for their kid’s inquiries. Some kids may have only one parent. Some have none at all.
- Traditionalist View: Certain societies do not believe in Sex Education or restrict the full knowledge. Attempts to introduce sex education as a compulsory part of the curriculum have often been met with harsh criticism by political parties, who claim that sex education their culture and would mislead children
- Improper or Lack of Sex Education in Educational Institutes: Lack of school curriculum in schools and other educational institutes adds to the problem of Sex Education
- Illiteracy: Many countries have a large number of people who are illiterate as they cannot afford or there no schools available to teach them.
Ways to Provide Sex Education
- Education from Home: It is a must that sex education starts at home. Parents should take it upon themselves to inform their children in a subtle and low-key manner what sex and sexuality are all about. This is quite fitting, as almost all children tend to be very curious about themselves and the world they live in. And surely at one point in their life, they are going to ask a lot of questions about themselves and the things around them. As parents, you should take that as an opportunity to introduce sex education to your kids.
- Education from Schools: Schools should adopt sex education to become part of their curriculum. Today, all schools need to take it as part of their duty to provide every student with the right information about sex and to inculcate in them the right beliefs, attitudes, and ideas about their identity, sexuality, and intimacy. In school, the interaction between the teacher and young people provides organised blocks of lessons. The involvement of young people themselves in developing and providing sex education has increased young people's levels of knowledge about sex and sexuality. School-based sex education can be an important and effective way of enhancing young people's knowledge, attitudes and behaviour
- Education from Media: Young adults use either the television or the Internet on a daily basis. And these types of media are jointly considered as two of the most used sources of sexual health facts and data of young adults. And if these are used properly, then they could be very powerful tools in disseminating information that pertains to sex education. Responsible media campaigns about sex and sexuality could definitely produce positive results as far as guiding and teaching a teenager’s mind is concerned as not everything that children see on TV, more especially the Internet is right.
- Education at the Right Time: The right time to talk to children about sex is during their young and tender ages. Even at the onset of puberty is a perfect time. These are the years when children are at their most curious stages. They tend to ask about anything and everything under the sun. And the most common question children throw at their parents is how those cute little babies were born. Children could even ask where they came from before they came to be babies. And if you don’t take the opportunity to tell your kids about it, chances are, they would believe anything else they hear around them. Always choose to answer your children’s questions very simply. There is actually no need to exaggerate. Just give them the facts using the closest ideas that they can easily grasp. Young children usually are fine with that. Sex education does not necessarily have to be taught in one go. It should be a gradual and evolving process, mostly to impart highly accurate information.
