Facts and Myths about Sex Education in India

1) Myth:Sex Education is for the people from the west. Because of their open minded culture, they have problem of teen pregnancy. This can’t happen in India because it is a country of values and traditions.

Fact: India has second largest population in the world with teen pregnancy 2 times more than US, 3 times more than UK and 10 times more than Western Europe.

2) Myth: Sex education is a topic for adults. Children shouldn’t talk about such obscene stuff.

Fact: Due to culture of shame and silence 53% of children in age group of 5 to 12 have been sexually abused

3) Myth: Sex Education is only about Sex

Fact: No, It is not only about sex but also includes topics of anatomy, gender norms, our rights on our body and more such stuff.

4) Myth: Sex education is not for men. They neither are sexually abused nor they become pregnant.

Fact: Around 57.3% of boys suffer from sexual abuse including rape and sodomy while 42.7% girls suffer from such malpractices. Surprisingly 61% of HIV/AIDS sufferers are men. Sex Education is thus for all, be it male or female.

Having ‘the talk’ isn’t easy but here are a few suggestions to improve the conditions about the same.

1) Its vital to remove the stigma of discussing about sex education.

2) If left untaught people become highly vulnerable in the midst of their own physiological changes.

3) High-risk sexual vulnerability can be attempted to be avoided if schools adhere to the National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy 2002 which begs the need for AIDS prevention and protection of the rights of infected individuals through awareness and education.

4) Unwanted pregnancies are also dealt with by unsafe means just because many are unaware of the risks

5) There is very little awareness about safe sexual encounters and the consequence of having unprotected relations with multiple partners.

6) Children from a young age should be taught about good and bad touch so that they aren’t left vulnerable to abuse.

Every day in developing countries, 20,000 girls under age 18 give birth. This amounts to 7.3 million births a year.

When a girl becomes pregnant, her life can change radically. Her education may end and her job prospects diminish. She becomes more vulnerable to poverty and exclusion, and her health often suffers. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among adolescent girls. Don’t let your conservative approach change their lives forever.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Mental, neurological and substance use disorders make up 10% of the global burden of disease and 30% of non-fatal disease burden.
2. Around 1 in 5 of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental disorder.
3. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting 264 million people.
4. The global economy loses about US$ 1 trillion per year in productivity due to depression and anxiety.
5. About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14.
6. People with severe mental disorders die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population.
7. Almost 800 000 people die by suicide every year; 1 person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals aged 15-29 years.
8. Less than half of the 139 countries that have mental health policies and plans report having these aligned with human rights conventions.

Judgement and discrimination are often the reasons why people choose to suffer in silence. It prevents people from having the awareness and access to much needed help.

Several approaches can help maintain a good relationship with people like:

• Showing empathy
• Avoid dictating what they need to do
• Congratulate them on positive changes
• Be patient

Remember! The road to recovery can be long and difficult but not impossible.