To read the Malay version, click here.
Surprisingly, nowadays there are still people out there who actually believe that teaching sex education to children is wrong because they think that sex education teaches kids how to have sex. What on earth?
Even when my team and I conducted an interview session regarding this issue, one of the girls stated that we could only teach sex education to those who want to get married, but it is a big NO for children. I honestly don’t blame her because, in Malaysia, we lack exposure for sexual education.
The saddest part is when some of the interviewees don’t even know what STD’s is. Can’t you see why we really need a better sex education yet?
What is Sex Ed is all about?
Let me tell you why we really need sex education in Malaysia and what sex education is all about.
One of the articles I have read before stated that an estimated 18,000 underage girls get pregnant in Malaysia each year and some of them doesn’t even have an idea that HAVING SEX CAN MAKE THEM PREGNANT!
Let me make it clear, if we do not educate these children from an early age, Malaysia’s children are going to be doomed.
There’s plenty case of baby dumping because they don’t know the use of condom and whatnot. I seriously do not encourage these children to have sex, but we can make them understand that what is going to happen if they have sex.
Sex Education doesn’t teach children how to have sex!
They also have to know what is the function of the penis, what is the function of a vagina, what is the prevention of the unwanted baby from happening and the most important thing is, we need to teach these children how to say NO if any party want to touch their private part!
They think it teaches children how to have sex. But sexuality is so much more than just the physical act of having sex. It includes gender, identity, body image, consent, abuse, roles, relationships, values, and attitude,
says Prabha Nagaraja, Executive Director of Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues (TARSHI), a not-for-profit working on issue of sexuality.
See, after all, that I have stated just now, none of them shows that Sex Education is a platform to teach your kids how to have sex. Am I right?
Sex education does not encourage teenagers to have sex, it does quite the opposite. Sex education should be mandatory, comprehensive, medically accurate, and taught throughout student’s school years, just like math. It’s been shown to help students, not hurt. Not only is having access to sex education that is not only comprehensive but medically accurate a human right; it’s our fundamental duty as a society to educate the next generation. Currently, we are failing.
Now, please change that mindset.
To read more articles about our #SEXEDUCATION series, please stay tuned!
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