Page 58 - June2018

Breaking sex talk taboo

in Indian culture

In a nation where sex temples in Khajuraho or Shivling are worshipped, talking about sex in open is
still considered a taboo in Indian society. With India having the largest adolescent population in the
world, along with a thriving market for contraceptives, the country cannot afford to stay silent about

its sexual health anymore, writes subhangi singh

hen it comes to sex shares the same predicament as most ment-run programs are often cosmetic
talk or sex education young married Indian girls in semi-ur- in nature, only concerned with achiev-
in India, the govern- ban areas. She narrated, “I don’t want to ing their targets. In 2012, after a botched
ment brazenly ignores have kids right away. I have heard about up female sterilisation camp in Bihar,
W it, schools disregard contraceptives like Nirodh and Mala-D. resulting in complications experienced
it and the adults firmly push it under But, I dare not bring it up with my hus- by several patients, activist Devika
the carpet. The demographic diver- band. He might think I am too forward Biswas filed a petition in the Supreme
sity, in terms of age, sex, marital status, or that I have a promiscuous past. My Court of India. The Court finally ruled
class, religion and cultural context, mother will also be very pissed if she that such incidents violated compo-
add the final nail in the coffin. What is gets a whiff. Also, I must get pregnant nents of Article 21 of the Constitution,
absurd that in India where Khajuraho, within a year or people might think I i.e. the right to health and reproduc-
known as the land of sex temples, is am baanjh (infertile).” Such stories echo tive rights. The Court also ordered the
open for the world to worship, visit throughout north India. It is a built-up discontinuation of such sterilisation
or make movies inspired from its sex on multiple social phenomena, almost camps, ensuring that no such fixed
sculptures,discussion on the subject unique to South Asia and entrenched targets exist. Adult Indian women, let
sex, on the other hand, is sidelined through its social institutions. alone adolescents are mostly unaware
considering morally disgraceful in the In a country where half the preg- about their sexual and reproductive
same society. nancies are unplanned, a third of which rights.
Jyoti (name changed) is an 18-year- are terminated by choice, the need for Dr. Shefali Wadhwani Sharma, a
old newly married girl from Agra. Jyoti unmet contraception is huge. Govern- gynaecologist at GMCH, Chandigarh

tehelka / 15 june 2018 58 www.tehelka.com

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