S-E-X. It is possibly one of the most taboo topics in our society. Even more so in our schools. In the wake of child sexual abuse in the past year, schools have started making an effort as regards awareness. They explain how to differentiate between ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ as well as to report any abuse they may face to their parents and teachers. Sex Education in a Muslim country is a big NO. Merely because we feel that it will make our teenagers sexually active from a young age.
There is so much more to Sex Education that can actually help teenagers be aware and safe. With the amount of exposure children have to adult content in this day and age, becoming sexually active is the least of our worries. Here are five reasons why it is important for young adults and teens alike:
The more teens know, it is more likely that they will say no.
Telling your kids to say no is not enough. However, teaching them what it entails is most likely to deter them until they are ready. Sometimes teens give into peer pressure. We need to teach them listen to themselves.
Faith can only take them so far.
Scaring your kids into not having sex would be great if it worked. After a certain age as their bodies change, so do their hormone levels. However, the beauty of being human is the fact that we can actually use our brains to do a quick cost-benefit analysis of any situation. Whilst faith can deter them, their belief can change with changing circumstances.
Respect thyself.
What kids need to be taught is sex-education AND self-respect. Teaching kids how to respect themselves and to not waiver from their principles will get them much further in preventing what would be pre-martial sex in the case of our country. Teaching kids how to respect their bodies, their souls and their individual needs would help them if the same were taught in addition to sex-ed.
Better safe.
Teaching children sex-education in school does not mean they will have sex early. If anything it teaches them everything- from what sex is, why it is sanctioned between married, committed couples, what the practices of safe sex are and most importantly consequences from the slightest hiccup. Kids, when taught about sexually transmitted diseases are more likely to be cautious of these than those who are not. It is also a great way to teach kids about birth control and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
Sex Education is not the enemy.
If anything sex-education can make awkward situations less awkward. In our society to be ladylike one must not discuss sex even in a social context. It must be kept under wraps at all times. This often leads to anything female, be it our menstruation cycle or our reproductive system or health, to be easily overlooked and ignored.
It is okay to talk about anything unusual you noticed during your period or you noticed on your breast. The element of shame attached to reproduction, as a whole, must be done away with. Sex education in schools teaches kids, how to check for health of their reproductive organs without it becoming a topic of shame or dismay.
