This word whenever said or heard always leads to an awkward silence and embarrassment no matter where you are. Sex education is still considered a very sensitive topic and in spite of modernization, we still hesitate to talk about it. Even though we say that we have adapted to changes and so revolutionized our thinking, we still don’t talk about sex education which is a very important topic that needs to be addressed and made aware of. Here is all about the importance of sex education.
Sex education is a process of providing information and knowledge related to human sexuality, sexual behavior, and reproductive health. It aims to promote healthy sexual attitudes, behaviors, and relationships, as well as prevent negative outcomes such as unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and sexual violence. Sex education can cover a wide range of topics, including anatomy and physiology, puberty, contraception, pregnancy, childbirth, STIs, sexual orientation, gender identity, relationships, and consent. It can be provided in various settings, such as schools, community organizations, healthcare facilities, and online platforms.
Sex education can be comprehensive or abstinence-only. Comprehensive sex education provides accurate and age-appropriate information about sexuality and reproductive health, including information about contraception, safe sex practices, and STIs. Abstinence-only sex education emphasizes abstinence as the only way to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs. There is evidence to suggest that comprehensive sex education can be effective in promoting healthy sexual behaviors and reducing negative outcomes, while abstinence-only sex education may be less effective. However, access to comprehensive sex education can be limited in some areas due to political, religious, or cultural factors.
WHAT IS THE NEED OF SEX EDUCATION?
Sex education is something that is to be explained and taught about to the young generation (adolescents). This is because first they comprise of the majority of the population of the world and as recently stepping into the feeling of becoming an adult and so they might be keen to explore new things and may get indulged in sexual activities. Without prior knowledge about things, they might get into trouble as they are not familiar with all the health risks and other issues related to sexual activities. It is very important to state all possible issues related to intercourse so that they can proceed in the right direction with keeping the dangers and other problems in mind. Introducing them to sex education will also help them in getting answers to any doubts or questions they might have about the same.
ISSUES THAT CAN BE SOLVED WITH INTRODUCING SEX EDUCATION:
GENDER ISSUE
This addresses the issue of child marriage, we all are familiar with the concept of child marriage where the girl is no more than 14 -15 years and is married to a man much older in age. The difference in age is always a problem as complications arise from the pregnancy and unsafe abortions which are a leading cause of death among women at an early age as they experience childbearing before the 17 years of age, with pregnancy often closely spaced. This issue is mainly due to the lack of awareness about sexual activities. This problem can be resolved by explaining the need for the girl child to be mature enough to bear a child and to fulfill the responsibilities; education about family planning, conception, and contraception could help to improve the situation and give the young women the opportunity to make their own informed decisions. Therefore it is necessary that children who have entered their adolescence should be aware that early-aged pregnancy can lead to very disastrous conclusions.
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
It is a well-known fact that there are a number of diseases that can be transmitted sexually. Many children without proper knowledge and understanding of how complicated sexual activities and unprotected intercourse can be get involved in these activities. Approximately half of the young population may be infected by STIs and harmful diseases like HIV, with the introduction of sex education we can make them aware of the death-causing diseases that can be transmitted from one to another In this way, well-designed school sex education can help combat the culture of ignorance, hesitation, shame, and fear associated with the disease in the community, from which the disease is born.
RAISE A VOICE AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE/ABUSE
Various reports and surveys suggest that sexual abuse, violence, and physical abuse are increasing among the adolescence and are increasingly co-occurring with substance abuse. To be precise a study stated that around 53% of boys and 47% of girls have faced some other kind of sexual abuse. With the introduction of sex education, the vulnerable young population can be made aware of their sexual rights and empower to stand against any kind of sexual offense, assault, and molestation.
HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE
Sexual education is considered a basic human right under the title of ‘reproductive rights’ as emphasized by many reputed NGOs and other organizations working for the welfare of the youth and the future associated with them. With the help of teaching about sexual activities, youngsters can be more aware of the legal methods if they are the victim and also know what trials and legal actions they will fail if they try to assault someone. This can also help in controlling the illegal activities going on presently.
MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT SEX EDUCATION
There is a myth that sex education encourages students to get involved in sex earlier than it is expected but good quality sexuality education does not lead to young people having sex earlier than is expected based on the national average instead sexuality education can, however, lead to later sexual debut and more responsible sexual behavior. There is another misconception that educating students about sex steals away their innocence as they come to know about all this stuff at an early age but instead giving children information on sexuality that is scientifically accurate, non-judgmental, age-appropriate, and complete makes them more responsible and they get a better understanding about new things. Giving sexual education to children and an open attitude towards sex makes them an easy target for a pedophile (people who are sexually attracted to children). The reality is totally the opposite; when children learn about equality and respect in relationships, they are in a better position to recognize abusive persons and situations.
CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, there are no negative aspects related to teaching children about sexual education and hence students and parents should be made aware of the importance of sex education and innovative schemes and programs should be introduced to make this reach to a maximum number of people possible. Visit careerguide now
