Sheikh, a counsellor whose lesson
communicates sexual information in a simple and relaxed manner, admits
it is a "tricky subject", but she
believes it is a vital duty to
combat ignorance. She displays slides from the ancient Indian erotic
text Kamasutra, as well as drawings of how an adolescent's body
develops, and graphics
to explain
AIDS and the rise of sexually-transmitted diseases in India.
Students at the school often hesitate to ask questions, she said,
but they all feel the course helps clear away many of the misconceptions and
the secrecy that shrouds such taboo subject.
"I had no clue about sex,
pregnancy and the
precautions required to protect oneself during an intercourse. I am
glad that I am
aware now,"
said Riddhima Tiwari, a 15-year-old student
at the school, which asked not to be named to avoid publicity.
Parents said they had permitted the course to be taught as they
were aware their children needed to be able to look after themselves,
adding it would pass on information which they would be shy of
discussing at home.
But millions of students studying in government schools are denied
any such advice, as
India state governments avoid all mention of
introducing sex
education in schools.
"If implemented, the subject would have adverse effects on
young minds,"
said Swami Nityanand,
a
Hindu priest in Delhi and a senior
member of the right wing
Hindu organisation,
Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Nityanand said he never uses the word "sex" in front of his young
disciples, as he feels that Indians learn all the facts of life
naturally and
need no guidelines on the topic or diseases related to
it.
In 2007, Nityanand's followers burnt school books that discussed
contraception and sexually-transmitted diseases, and forced the
government in the
western state of Gujarat to drop reproduction chapters from
science textbooks.
"Imparting this kind of education would mean devaluing
Indian culture and
values, so I will fight until the end to protect our rich heritage," he
told AFP.
But a 2007 survey "Indian Adolescent: Changing Sexual Behaviour",
conducted by doctors and
voluntary organisations,
concluded that
there was an urgent need for sex education in schools.
It said around 40 per cent of all
HIV infections in
India occurred
in the 16-24 age group and clinic-based evidence suggests that a third
of
all abortions may take place among unmarried teenage girls.
Teen pregnancy also doubled in the previous five years, the survey
stated.
And, according to the
National Crime Records Bureau, more than 20,000 rapes are
reported every year, of which 25 percent of the
victims are minors.
Many experts blame such an array of statistics on the lack of sex
education.
"This theory of
Indian culture and morality is a big sham," said Ravi Kumar
Tandon, a Delhi-based
doctor who specialises in sexual issues.
"Girls and boys need to learn about sex, and boys have to be
trained to adopt alternative modes of relating to women, rather than just being
aggressive," he said.
Tandon collected data for the "Indian Adolescent" survey by
interviewing about 500 urban and rural teenagers.
"There are misconceptions galore in their minds. Many rural girls
thought a man's touch was enough to make a them pregnant, while the
urban boys said they access the Internet and watch pornographic videos
to understand sex," he said.
He said conservative groups were being hypocritical and unrealistic
about the problems of modern India.
"To educate the youth about sex, and to show them how to use a
condom will not westernise them. It will make them aware of their
sexuality," he said.
However, India's central government appears less than keen to
discuss the subject.
"What can I say about sex education? We are yet to apply our mind
over the issue," Human
Resource Development minister
Kapil Sibal
told
AFP.
Courtesy of http://news.yahoo.com
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