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If you thought only young men were indulging in pre-marital sex, you’re certainly wrong. As a shocker for those resisting the introduction of sex-education in schools, it has been revealed that even a higher percentage of young girls have had sex before turning 15. The youth survey conducted under the aegis of the Union health ministry reveals that 24 per cent women against 9 per cent men have had sex before 15. The survey was conducted in six states — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

The shocking revelations again bring forth the need to impart sex-education to teens. But most Indian parents don’t like to talk about the bird and the bees. “Only working with students isn’t going to solve the problem. We should have trained experts who will guide parents and teachers on how to address the issue. The training should be more culture specific so that it matches the social system of a particular region. Sex-education shouldn’t be tackled as a specific problem, but as a part of life-skills development,” remarks psychiatrist Dr Sameer Parekh.
Then how does one strike a conversation with teens? Shikha Sharma, a 16-year-old student says that youngsters today already have enough information, which they get from peers, also the Internet. “It’s an irony that we come across the first chapter talking about human physiology in Class 10, when we know much more than what is there is in the book,” she says. “Like we have moral science and environment science classes, why not have something similar on sex education. Well, Class 10 is certainly too late to begin with the first lesson on sex,” she says.
“There can be power point presentations in order to make kids aware of their bodies. It should probably start in the Class 6,” Shikha adds. Plus it’s not a wise idea to leave teens at the mercy of Internet, expecting them to educate themselves. “There is a sea of information, good and bad on the web. They might end up getting hooked on to porn,” warns Dr Parekh.
A mature talk about sex in a classroom with teenage boys and giggling girls might not be a smart idea either. Suggests 18-year-old Aseem Sachdeva that if it’s a co-ed class, a separate talk can be held for both the genders, followed by a joint discussion.
Continuous training should be backed with support from counsellors in schools and colleges. Young parents are realising and if they are being more liberal with their children, they have to be equally involved in their lives. “Things won’t work if we are always in a panic mode. I try effective communication with my son. It’s about being friends first and parents later,” says Priyanjali Arora, mother of a 14-year-old.

Fozia Yasin
The Asian Age