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Writing and Communication 17 November 2011 Is There a Place For Sex Education in Pakistani Educational Institutions? The world is evolving continuously and so is our society. A few decades back people would not even think about talking about sex in public in our society. It was assumed by the adults that as their children grow up they will learn about it themselves some way or the other but now due to the availability of the internet and media attention given to it most people in urban areas have started giving sex education to their children.
In western cultures sex education has become a part of the curriculum for quite some time now but due to restrictions imposed on eastern societies regarding sex it is very uncommon in the subcontinent especially in Pakistan. However some premier institutions have started to implement it as they see its advantages.
Although some people feel that sex education in schools will lead to increased sexual activity among teenagers, nevertheless, its benefits exceed its disadvantages especially for young women in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan, because this will help them to deal with issues regarding Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Studs), fee sex practices, family planning and infertility. Some people believe that sex education will lead to increased sexual activity among teenagers. These people do have a valid point but the merits of education exceed its demerits.
In rural areas women are given no knowledge of sex before marriage and if they talk about such a topic they are beaten physically. They have many misconceptions regarding sex such as only the female can be infertile. However that is such not always the case as men can be impotent to. These women are treated as if they have no importance in society if they cannot have children when there can be no fault of theirs. The alarming increase in our population is also due to the lack of knowledge regarding sex.
They believe that family planning is against Islam and also they do not know about the use of contraceptives. This is also a misconception of many uneducated people. Sexually transmitted diseases such as aids, syphilis can also occur hence the knowledge about safe sex is very important. In Pakistan aids due to unprotected sex is increasing a lot. This may not be as a result of having sex with a women as gay sex in rural areas is becoming very common. Mostly these people are drug addicts who are not in their senses.
They may abuse children so educating them is very important as this would teach them to evade from strangers who have ill intentions towards them. A survey by the EUNICE in Pakistan shows that 120,000 people are living with ) Sex education will snow the demerits to having more than one sexual partner and diseases like aids can be prevented. One small mistake can end your life. How much damage will this ignorance cost us? When we have all the resources and the meaner to give information why are people still not aware of life threatening diseases like aids.
This can be easily taught in schools and institutions so people eave knowledge concerning it and can take precautions regarding it. A very huge sect of our public opposes sex education due to religious reasons. They believe that giving sex education to children is against the teaching of Islam as having sex before marriage is prohibited and has a very strong penalty of being hit with stones till the person dies. While the claims of these people are true but the main aim to sex education is too inform and answer the queries of teenagers.
Boys reach puberty at age around 11 to 12 whereas girls at the age around 13 to 14. The curiosity regarding ex starts at that age and if these questions remain unanswered they may have dire consequences. The Holy Quern itself says “It is lawful for you to go in unto your wives during the night preceding the (day’s) fast: they are as a garment for you and you are as a garment for them. ” (2:187). Sexual intercourse is allowed in between a husband and wife and the Quern mentions it so why should not this education be given at school level.
It teaches them that sex is not allowed before marriage and tells about the punishment on however indulges in premarital sex. Many parent’s are not willing to give sex education to their children. This may be due to them feeling shy or they believe that their child is not mature enough to grasp the true meaning of it. That makes it a very important reason for our institutions to give proper knowledge. Due to the availability of internet and television on most children’s disposal they get curious regarding it.
This may result in viewing of pornographic sites which destroy the mind of young children as it depicts sex in a totally different manner. The little amount of knowledge they have or they get form their friends they tend to try it out. That may lead to increase in sexual harassment and rape. Rape is constantly on the rise in Pakistan. A survey done in 2010 by the Rata foundation Islamabad shows that 928 women were raped in the year 2009. ( This is the official number, what about the voices of those who were raped and their mouths forced shut by threatening to kill them or harm their family.
Teenage pregnancies is an another problem which can be reduced through sex education in schools. Sometimes parent’s are not aware of their children’s activities and this can lead to a lot of problems in the family. In rural areas people can go to the extent of killing the person. Sex education will not only teach the use of intransitives but also create awareness regarding the problems of teenage pregnancies. Girls getting pregnant at a young age have problems during delivery. There child may not be healthy and they themselves are at a risk of death during the pregnancy if any complication occurs.
Many people have misconceptions regarding hymen and female circumcision. They may be due to their customs or what has been done during the past generation in their family. As sex before marriage is not allowed in Islam and if the girls hymen is broken they assume that she has had premarital sex. However this is not always rue as activities like swimming and horse riding can cause the hymen to break. Female circumcision is an act that is still going on in our society. People do not realize that it NAS detect when the women becomes pregnant and it may also lead to infertility.
Although in 2006 Muslim convention in Egypt of many religious scholars reached a consensus that female circumcision should be criminality. Sex education given from a qualified teacher can really help McCollum a child’s mind. A teacher who has complete knowledge of Islam and issues of sex can help answer all types of queries which may come to a teenagers mind. Sex education classes may be considered awkward in co-education schools but the solution is simple to have separate classes for boys and girls.
An example of Backhouses Defense Campus can be taken where a special class for girls was held to educate them regarding sex and familiarize them with their bodies. In conclusion sex education in schools and institutions can be beneficial to our society as it helps to create awareness regarding sexually transmitted diseases, family planning and safe sex practices. Pandemics like aids are on the rise and destroying our society. The basic education should be given at the secondary level allowed by use of contraceptives and teenage pregnancies in level/matrix.