Sex. Masturbation. Pleasure. These are words that must not be named, let alone discussed, understood and practiced without appropriate socio-religious sanctions. A country of 1.3 billion and counting, India does not like to engage with sex. Everybody does it of course. Nobody likes to talk about it. Because it is not a part of our culture to do so. Or so the upholders of culture in our country will have us believe.
Growing up in such a context means having to maintain a “safe” distance between sex and our sexual bodies. For a majority of teenagers and young adults in India the sources of knowledge and information about matters of sexuality are often their equally uninformed or misinformed peers. Schools in India are no better and often shy away from “educating” students about matters of sex and sexuality.
In recent years, sex education has been a particularly controversial topic in our country after “a parliamentary committee rejected a comprehensive sex education programme proposed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development” (Read more here). The latest display of our regressive attitude toward sex was when the country’s Health Minister demanded that sex education be banned in schools, and yoga be introduced instead. This is the same minister who also suggested that “fidelity in marriage is a better way to fight AIDS than condoms” (full article).
In response to this, a group of satirists came together and produced a video that showcases the hypocrisy surrounding sex education in our country:
As laughable as this video is, the reality is anything but humorous. The consequences are dangerously dire.The fact that we have among the highest rates of teenage pregnancies (owing to early marriages), HIV/AIDS cases, and sexual violence is an indication of the severity of the issue. However,as the authors from this week’s readings demonstrate it is important to not focus only on the negative discourse about sex. While these issues are of utmost significance and deserve attention, we also need to move towards a more positive discourse around sex and sexuality. That sexual rights are human rights; that pleasure is a right; that safe sex can be sexy; are all ideas that will help us move in this direction. As the founder of “The Pleasure Project” says,“ We can’t learn to say no, if we are not taught to say yes, and say yes to good safe sex.”
While India has a long way to go before we begin to approach sex positively and without fear and stigma, it is heartening to see some very positive movements on the ground. TARSHI (Talking about Reproductive and Sexual Health issues) is a non-profit organization that offers a sex-related helpline and believes that “everybody has the right to sexual well-being, to a healthy, enjoyable and self-affirming sexuality.”
Anushka, I love this post! It's incredible how rare a sex-positive sexuality education system is. While my own sex education experiences weren't as stifling as those that are portrayed in the video, they were all focused on the negatives of sex, i.e. STIs, HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, etc. Never once did we, as teenagers, learn how to communicate with our partners about our needs and desires, or even the basics of asking for consent. While awareness about the negative consequences that sexuality can bring is important, the negative connotation on all of sex needs to be changed.
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely unfortunate sex education in many countries around the world occurs in such a closed off way. As Erin commented, sex education teachers focus on diseases and on pregnancy, some teachers even attempting to scare students into abstaining from sex. It is important that this topic be discussed more openly in sex education classes so that individual have more agency of their bodies. Currently, sex education is taught informally mostly through TV and the internet, with this protection from diseases or pregnancies is open to interpretation. In Brazil, sex education is taught in a similar way than in the United States, although it is taught only on elementary school. Some Brazilian schools assume that high school students already have the knowledge they need about sex and safety from elementary school, so this topic is not revisited in high school. With this, many girls ultimately drop out of high school because they are pregnant and they must take care of their babies. Family support is provided, but the young mother has difficulties in continuing her studies. Sex education must be an important part of the curriculum in schools. It is a topic that all students may relate to on a personal level and a topic that students are curious about.
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely unfortunate sex education in many countries around the world occurs in such a closed off way. As Erin commented, sex education teachers focus on diseases and on pregnancy, some teachers even attempting to scare students into abstaining from sex. It is important that this topic be discussed more openly in sex education classes so that individual have more agency of their bodies. Currently, sex education is taught informally mostly through TV and the internet, with this protection from diseases or pregnancies is open to interpretation. In Brazil, sex education is taught in a similar way than in the United States, although it is taught only on elementary school. Some Brazilian schools assume that high school students already have the knowledge they need about sex and safety from elementary school, so this topic is not revisited in high school. With this, many girls ultimately drop out of high school because they are pregnant and they must take care of their babies. Family support is provided, but the young mother has difficulties in continuing her studies. Sex education must be an important part of the curriculum in schools. It is a topic that all students may relate to on a personal level and a topic that students are curious about.
ReplyDeleteThe video on India and Sex Edu is awesome. I think a lot of it transfers to America except the dowry part--I wasn't able to think of a U.S. parallel for that one. Sex is used to condemn minorities, disabled people and the poor. I couldn't help but notice in the second video that the speaker's white skin, blue eyes, and blond hair created a big contrast up against the imagery that largely featured people of color. Most of the world can be considered to be "people of color" so the images may have be guide by a goal to speak to the world.
ReplyDeleteOne of the difference between the videos--and something that is highlighted by the previous comments--is the context of education versus advocacy. Keep in mind that many people that support not teaching sex in schools presume that sex education belongs in families and should occur. Many think schools are just doing a bad job of what it is supposed to be doing and giving them more responsibility is not a the quick fix it seems to be nor is it a sustainable solution because not much of what is taught in school gets remembered for a lifetime all by itself. The thing that is missing from sex-positive messages like TARSHI is the recognition that sex is connected to power. People who have influence, money and power will always be able to mitigate the risks and stigmas of sex in ways that people who don't have influence, money and power can't. I am, of course, speaking in broad strokes here. The first video did a better job of revealing how sex is tied to power by controlling the ways knowledge is developed and disseminated about sex.
Anushka,
ReplyDeleteGreat topic and I really appreciate that you brought this up. As Erin and Gabriela both commented, sex education for me was disguised as ‘health education’ and we instead learned of the dangers that can come from sex like STIs and unwanted pregnancies. I have been a fan of The Pleasure Project for some time now, and I think their message is a positive one that should be spread throughout educational settings. Although the first video was very funny and set in an Indian context, I found it easy to connect the sentiments to sex education here in the United States.
At least for me, my experience with sex education at home was non-existent. Like Nicole stated, many think sex education should be taught at home between families but the unfortunate reality is sex education is being dismissed throughout various aspects of society. Although it is important that families discuss sex, there is no excuse for dismissing it in schools. For the kids like me whose parents refused to discuss sex, I would have benefited from my high school health class if sex was taught in a different positive way.