Page 59 - June2018

sex education

reveals, “We often get girls in critical questions about my sex life, marital sta- programs. The patriarchal narrative
condition, who come in with a perfo- tus and warnings about my biological also restricts men/boys from address-
rated uterus due to mishandled D&C clock ticking away. She also wanted to ing their own reproductive and sexual
abortions, done by unqualified caregiv- know if my parents knew! She ignored health issues, the admission of which
ers like midwives, etc. Such is the social me when I tried giving background of can render them weak in a society that
stigma that adolescent girls admitted my general health.” Such moral polic- teaches them to be macho. Informa-
with ruptured ectopic pregnancies re- ing from healthcare providers, miscon- tion, education and communication
fuse to admit that they have been sexu- ceptions and lack of trust about regu- about male sterilisation are inadequate,
ally active. Young girls seldom get inti- lar contraception methods, have led not only in society but the public health
mate checkups done until faced with to rampant impetuous use of over the system as well. In the absence of a cred-
acute medical emergencies. To avoid counter emergency contraceptives. ible source of information and lack
such cases, it is imperative that educa- Government and private NGOs of inclusion in public awareness ini-
tion about menstrual hygiene and sex- are now resorting to innovation to get tiatives, men often ignore their sexual
ual health becomes a part of school cur- the message across. Comedian Abish health issues which in turn can lead to
riculum. Sexual health is a vital part of Mathew recently released a funny ani- mental trauma, male fertility issues and
holistic healthcare and healthy women mated short film about the importance infections.
a keystone of women empowerment.” of maintaining good sexual health. During the decade (2006-2016) be-
The latest National Family Health Agents of Ishq, a multimedia project tween successive NFHS surveys, con-
Survey (NFHS), 2015-16, bears some about ‘sex, love and desire’, is sprinkled dom use declined by 52 per cent while
good news. Use of contraception in the number of vasectomies conducted
single women has gone up from 2 per fell by 73 per cent, indicating a greater
cent to 12 per cent in the last decade. In a country where reluctance amongst men to use birth
Female sterilisation (36 per cent) is still half the pregnancies control. Only 5 per cent Indian males
the most popular form of modern con- use condoms and male sterilisation
traception used, permanent or other- are unplanned, forms a dismal 0.3 per cent of modern
wise. However, women, especially ado- contraception used. Most Indian men
lescents, still lack sufficient knowledge a third of which consider vasectomy as an equivalent
about the dangers of unsafe sex and in- are terminated by to castration. Majority of them are una-
timate infections. Religious and cultural ware about the ease of the procedure
obligations often dissuade them from choice, the need for and the reversible nature of it. India is
practicing proper sexual/menstrual hy- unmet contraception one of the few countries in the world
giene and/or using contraception. Most where female tubal ligation is more
women still use ‘traditional’ contracep- is huge popular form of permanent contra-
tive methods like monitoring menstru- ception than vasectomies, despite
al cycles and ‘pulling out’, unaware that the fact that the ligation procedure is
these methods are not only unreliable liberally with humour to make it ap- more complicated and requires greater
tools of family planning but also leave pealing for this generation. Population post-operative care. The pitiful picture
them vulnerable to Sexually Transmit- Foundation of India (PFI) is an NGO is worsened by the fact that men are
ted Infections (STIs) and Reproductive which has partnered with Doordar- taught from an early age that reproduc-
Tract Infections (RTIs). shan to spread awareness about sexual tion and subsequently, fertility, contra-
Even in urban setups, girls admitting health, contraception and other taboo ception and maternal healthcare are a
to sexual needs are slut-shamed. Trisha subjects, through a soap opera titled ‘woman’s affair’.
(name changed) is a 26-year-old single, Mai Kuchh Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon.. As Dr. Sumeet Devgan, a consultant
financially independent woman who urologist at the Grecian Hospital, Mo-
resides in New Delhi. “Once I dropped Inclusion of Men hali points out, “Young Indian men lack
my bag at my workplace, spilling out a Although government programs and the open peer discussions prevalent in
condom amongst other things. After even NGOs that focus on youth repro- women and are reluctant to seek pro-
that, the double entendres and inde- ductive and sexual health often limit fessional medical help for their sexual
cent proposals continued for a month. their focus to females alone, men/boys health needs. We often get cases with
I finally changed the job after a few play key roles as fathers, brothers, and mismanaged self-medication for STIs,
months due to various reasons, this in- partners. Often the male members of etc. We need to stop referring to sexual
cident being one of them.” said Trisha. the family are key decision makers of and reproductive health and rights as
She continued, “When I visited a gy- the household in the largely patriarchal women’s issues; they are men’s issues as
naec at a private clinic to get checked Indian society, necessitating participa- much. Given that use of contraceptives
for late periods, I was welcomed with tion of the male population in these in India is riddled with social barriers, a

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