Population First, Mumbai : Newsletter for April 2007
Sex is ok. Informed sex is not?
Once again there is a controversy regarding the introduction of sex-education in schools, triggered by objections raised against some content of the modules developed under the CBSC curriculum. The organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad threatened to initiate agitation against the introduction of sex education, on the grounds that it is ‘obscene and illogical. Whether the objections are specific to the materials being developed or sex education per se, we at Population First implore the government to persist with implementing this education policy to provide adolescents an accurate and realistic understanding of sexual health. Young people should not be left to learn about these important issues through playground rumours and hearsay. If we choose to maintain the status quo, it will lead to dire consequences for the country, both economically and socially.
Unfounded assumptions
It has been argued that sex education at an early age will make the children prematurely curious about sex and lead them to practical experimentation with fellow students and with younger members of the family. While we appreciate these concerns, we feel it is time that we acknowledge that young adults are bombarded with too much misinformation through various media about sex. Curiosity is bound to be sparked as we do not have the ability to control their environment fully. Sexual imagery is ubiquitous; it is in magazines, films and even popular music. Dr A.L. Sharada, programme director of Population First, noted how even in villages with no water and poor supplies of food, there were still video parlours where pornography was shown. The overwhelming evidence suggests that promiscuity does not increase if children undertake a programme of sex education. In fact, promiscuity reduces after programmes. For some, this may appear counter-intuitive; yet, the World Health Organisation reviewed over one thousand scientific articles on sex education programmes and found no support for the contention that sex education encourages sexual experimentation or increased activity. They argued if any effect is observed, almost without exception, it is in the direction of postponed initiation of sexual intercourse and/or effective use of contraception. There may be critics who refute this, but unless they can deliver a more persuasive body of evidence, we should discount their arguments founded on gut instinct alone.
Adolescents- a vulnerable group
There are numerous additional reasons to promote sex education in schools. For instance, one of our countrys goals is a healthy population. A key component of this is empowering couples with the ability to choose whether or when they will have a child. Sex education, through teachings on contraception and other matters of sexual health can enable this. According to the National Family Health Survey II, around 30% of girls group have their first child before the age of 19. Pregnancy before the age of 18 results in a greater risk of death during pregnancy or childbirth than women in their early twenties. By teaching people how to have safe sex, we improve the sexual health of the population.
A further compelling motive to provide sex education is the prevention and further spread of HIV. In India, at least five million people are currently living with HIV and indeed, this is more than any other nation in the world. According to the National Intelligence Council, this number will quintuple by 2010 to a figure between 20 and 25 million. This rapid spread can be partly explained by the statistic 52 percent of people use no contraception and until attitudes change, HIV will spread even further.
Sex education? But we are not yet ‘adults’!
This highlights the importance of addressing sex education to adolsecents as well and not limited to adults. For this the environment of school is ideal for individuals to learn about safe-sex practices. Although marriage before the age of 18 is illegal, in reality there are numerous cases where they still occur. School is an excellent opportunity to provide a widespread and most cost-effective education programme and furthermore, it ensures that safe sexual practices can be taught to the largest possible number of people in their formative years.
A further reason for targeting children for sex education is that the starting age of sexual activity does not always correspond with adulthood. In reality, it has been shown that 17 percent of school children engage in pre-marital sex, and nearly half do not use condoms as contraception (National Insitute of Health & Family Welfare). This is a significant number of people, and it is likely to be greater than the figures show, due to the stigma attached to premarital sex . According the International Planned Parenthood Federation, adolescents account for 14% of abortions in India.
Yet another reason to implement a sex education programme for children is the high incidence of child sexual abuse. According to a study by the Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development, 53% of children in India have experienced one or more forms of sexual abuse, mostly by close family members. When sexual abuse is so high, it is imperative for children to know their rights, and also what to do, if these rights are violated. This is sufficiently important to warrant these lessons being a compulsory part of the school curriculum. The grave corollary of not providing these facts outweighs all other misplaced concerns.
Final say
We in India have a choice. We can endure a society where more than one in two children are sexually abused, a society where an increasing percentage have HIV, a society where there is a large number of unwanted pregnancies adding to an unhealthy population. Alternatively, we can begin to overcome these challenges if we educate our people, including both adults and children in the subject of sexual health.
There is a need to arrive at a national consensus that sex education is absolutely essential. Negotiations over the illustrations and methods are secondary. It is imperative that we should not sacrifice the educational needs of our children for modestys sake.
Do you think sex education should be made compulsory in school? Your opinion counts. Click here to email us and tell us what you think:
Key arguments in favour of sex education:
1. Enables delay in having children which reduces health risks during pregnancy
2. Helps to stop the sexual abuse of children.
3. Reduces the spread of HIV, preventing serious economic and social consequences.
4. Empowers couples to exercise their reproductive rights.
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Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) Project for Out of School Youth: A Study
Many girls and boys drop out of school and are not exposed to systematic instructions in life skills and sexual and reproductive matters. Therefore, Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) has been identified as an important focus area by Population First under its communications initiative in the Thane Project.
Population First conducted a simple knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) study, funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Maharashtra. We sought to measure the level of information and understanding about HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, contraceptive methods and changes during adolescence. This survey was conducted before initiating any discussion with the adolescents, so that it could serve as a baseline to assess the impact of the programme subsequently.
Key findings of adolescent reproductive sexual health study in sub-centre villages:
60% of villagers were not aware of any sexually transmitted diseases.
26% of respondents believed that there was a possibility that their friends could get infected with HIV. 48% believed there was a likelihood of somebody like himself/herself getting infected.
40% of people said that there are chances of finding a HIV/AIDS infected person in the village as compared to their district (63%), state (63%), and country (66%).
64% of villagers believed that sex education would result in increased sexual experimentation.
Respondents had a fairly good understanding of the symptoms of STDs with 45% to 50% respondents identifying the symptoms correctly.
There is very poor awareness as to which diseases are categorized as STDs. For instance, only 20% of the respondents listed HIV/AIDS as a sexually transmitted disease. The other responses mentioned TB, Cholera and cancer.
Only 47% of respondents knew that you cannot identify a HIV positive person by looking at them.
42% of villagers knew of a HIV positive person. When asked about the support this person had in the village, a shocking 40% admitted that the person had been discriminated against, while another 40% of those with HIV had been asked to leave the village.
55% of respondents would not eat food cooked by a person who is HIV positive.
* The survey took place in 15 villages in Shahapur Block – Thane
Our Conclusions
The study is significant as it clearly brings out the ignorance and misinformation that is prevalent among the youth and helps us identify areas where intervention is required urgently.
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Finding |
Action |
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There is a felt need for ARSH education among the youth. Yet, at the same time there is a fear that such instruction may lead to experimentation and promiscuity. However, with the looming threat of HIV/AIDS there is a willingness to seek such instruction, in spite of such fears. |
This stresses the need to allay such fears while implementing the ARSH programmes. Studies have shown that ARSH interventions in fact lead to responsible behaviour among the youth as a consequence of informed choice and improved self image. |
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HIV/AIDS is still perceived as an outside phenomenon even when its incidence in the immediate neighbourhood is noted. |
Communication campaigns need to stress the vulnerability of all to the disease if adequate precautions are not taken that is following safe sex practices and taking preventive measures with regard to transmission through blood. |
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There is an overwhelming emphasis on sexual transmission of disease through promiscuous behaviour. Transmission through blood is not adequately understood. |
The HIV/AIDS communications campaigns and ARSH initiatives should also focus on other forms of transmission like to women and children through men, and intra venous drug use. |
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47% of the respondents were not aware of the gravity of the HIV infection and believed that it is curable or were not sure about it. This group is most likely to indulge in risk behaviour. There is widespread ignorance about the transmission and prevention of HIV infection. |
It is important that the ARSH programmes go beyond providing mere information and build a complete understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive processes and the importance of safe sex practices in preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. |
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Prejudice and stigma against persons with HIV/AIDS is rampant. |
To demystify the disease and also to ensure that such behaviour is stopped it is important to focus on the modes of transmission. It is also important to focus on gender and sexual and reproductive rights as often it is the social perception of infidelity and promiscuity which determines the stigma attached to a person who is HIV+. |
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There is a high level of ignorance among youth about the various contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted diseases as well as regarding physiological processes related to reproduction. |
This once again points to the need to provide complete information and understanding of the processes to the youth through the ARSH programmes. Appropriate teaching methods that help the youth come out of their inhibitions and seek information actively need to be adapted. We need to build their self image and skills to negotiate for safe sex. |
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An extract from our advocacy document, Population- Questions That Need To Be More Frequently Asked
Q: What are sexual and reproductive rights?
A: Reproductive rights in essence flow from widely recognised and internationally accepted human rights. Yet, the concept of reproductive rights per se is relatively new, and their significance is less understood among many sections. Reproductive rights are not only ethically based but also impact the quality of life of people.
The important sexual and reproductive rights cover choices pertaining to sexuality, reproductive decision-making, which includes voluntary choice in marriage, family formation and determination of the number, timing and spacing of ones children. They also include the right to access information and the means needed to exercise such voluntary choice. This empowers couples to plan their families by making informed choices regarding contraception, and so reduces the incidence of HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies teenage pregnancies, maternal morbidity and mortality all of which impact the growth of population. The right to equality and equity for men and women enables individuals to make free and informed choices in all spheres of life, free from discrimination based on gender. Sexual and reproductive security, including freedom from sexual violence and coercion, and the right to privacy address issues of gender inequality in sexual and reproductive relationships, which are often the cause of gender-based violence. Reproductive and sexual health constitutes an integral component of overall health, throughout the life cycle, for both men and women. By adopting a life cycle approach, this right expands sexual and reproductive behaviour so that it is accepted as a quality of life issue which needs to be promote at all stages of life and is not limited to procreation.
[The book Population- Questions that need to be more frequently asked is a compilation of the basic issues and features of India’s population, presented in a simple Q&A format. Contact us for copies of this book, which are available for a donation of Rs. 100]
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