It's 2021 ; But why Indians are still shameful to talk openly on sex or sexuality.
sex education would be a driving force in resolving many of the urgent problems revolving in Indian society.
Hello Indians, can we talk openly about sex please.
Modern India is not so liberal in its thoughts, and sex remains a taboo subject. It is time that changed. For India to move forward sociologically and economically, sex education is crucial.
Most children and adolescents in India have zero, or at least incomplete, knowledge on vital subjects including sexual abuse, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, female reproductive health and basic hygiene because sex education is not part of the academic curriculum.
We all have overcomed such situations or heard about it , where a teacher in 10th-grade science class, skips the chapter "sexual reproduction in animals" or "How do organisms reproduce", saying she was uncomfortable discussing such subjects in a virtual classroom when the parents of the students might overhear at home. Instead, she provided notes on the subject for her students to study in private.
Whenever the need to address sex education in schools comes up, a group of parents or society raise their voices against it.
In 2005, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) came up with the comprehensive Adolescence Reproductive and Sexual Health Education program. But CBSE schools were never able to implement the program in full.
In 2014, India's current health minister, Harsh Vardhan, raised his voice to ban sex education of any kind, claiming that it went against Indian tradition and values. Instead, he recommended yoga and virginity.
For the longest time, India has remained one of the world's most rigid affectionate. Outside the metropolitan cities, most teenage girls and boys are barred from interacting with each other.
Today pornography accessed through cheap vulgar books and the internet becomes the de facto learning material for boys and girls. Teaching about sex should not be limited to school but must start at home.
Parents have an indispensable role to play by having open conversations with their children about sex and gender equality.
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