Sex Education

Growing up in the 80s, sex education was just being introduced as part of a school’s curriculum, and looking back, I think the educators who were tasked with this did not have much of a clue of what to teach without becoming too pornographic. From some of the articles I have read here and there in blogs and forums, looks like we are still clueless.

Being from the good all boys Catholic school, when the fact that we were going to attend a session on sex education came to light, we all got excited because some of us though we were going to watch porn! Of course there was no porn but it was pretty darn close. It was a shocking audio (I repeat audio only) of a snippet from Monty Python’s Meaning of Life, the part on sex education. Yes you heard me Monty Python! For folks who don’t know what this is, do a search with keywords “Monty Python Sex Education” on You Tube and you will be shocked at how this could have been something used in a Sex Ed session for pubescent boys! If you did a search I want to re-iterate it was audio only, as I love my alma mater.

After this audio, which to be honest left students utterly confused as they were not prepared for what they heard, we proceeded to repeat after the teacher words like “Penis”, “Vagina” and I can’t remember what else. Then the talk steered toward the subject of pre-martial sex, and the possible consequence of unwanted pregnancies (sexually transmitted diseases were not that much of a “mainstream threat” at this point so not discussed) thus leading to the subject of abortion, where photo stills of fetal remains were shown to again shock us rather than educate us. I really can’t remember if condoms were mentioned at all but after 20 years, what I have said above remains in my memory.

So verdict, is this proper sex education? Then again what is proper sex education? Why do I say that we are still clueless?

With the recent AWARE saga which I tried to ignore but was unable to because of Twitter and the constant barrage of blog posts on the subject, one thing that was brought to light was its Comprehensive Sexuality Education Program. Before I go on, I will say I have tried to find the complete contents of this program but was not able to but in my “research” these 4 points below seem to be all I saw and basically the basis of the uproar! I do concede that I do not know if these 4 points from the Instructor’s guide is small percentage or the entire crux of the program but it any case it is worrying for me as a to be parent. So with all the caveats here they are:

1. Pre-marital sex is neutral
2. Anal sex is neutral
3. Virginity is a state of mind
4. Sex is fun

Perhaps the only point I can agree with is point 4. but having said that we need to remember that the audience here is impressionable and pubescent teenagers. Of course the most ridiculous is point 3.  Virginity only becomes a state of mind when it is lost and the guilt sets in. Let’s be honest when we lose it (that is before marriage) we all felt a sense of loss and thus trying making it a state of mind is just a way of justifying it. I am not saying that we should stigmatize teens who have lost it but rather than giving them this guilt and which could eventually lead to a “lose” lifestyle they need to be able to return to self respect and worth. They need to learn and not take these acts lightly.

Sex is an intimate subject, which should not be approached in the same way as other “civic” driven concepts. Like say drug addiction, where someone from SANA come and gives a talk or a presentation.

For parents or to be parents who read my blog, make up your own minds but, based on this my opinion is that this form of Sex Ed, cheapens the virtue and the importance of this act. Sex Ed at school is just one of the avenues where our kids can learn it is ultimately the choice of parents to show them the proper virtues and meaning of self respect.

M IMHO (gosh yet another caveat)!