The S-word We Don't Talk About

I think it’s time to address the elephant in the room which keeps creeping in every now and then but never gets the attention it deserves. So I guess it’s time we talk about the topic which is a taboo in India. If you guessed “SEX”, then you are BANG on target! It comes as a huge surprise that the same country which gave the world Kama sutra doesn’t permit sex education as a fundamental right to its children and that is something that has to change soon if we intend to bring a positive change to the society.

Firstly, I found a question which is asked pretty often on the internet: How is it possible that sex is a taboo in India when it has such a huge population? This question, my friends, is its own answer. Necessity is the mother of invention. By virtue of nature when man is hungry, he gets desperate to locate food. When man is horny, he gets desperate for sex. Almost every smart kid will eventually find out about sex, that’s the Law of Nature. As elders it’s our responsibility that they find out about it from reliable sources and don’t get misled. If you do not attend to this topic at all, then how are you going to teach the children about the difference between ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ or the importance of ‘consent’ in any form of sexual activity? If hunger is treated as a sin, then eating will become a crime and people will find unscrupulous ways to meet their needs. A smart kid is supposed to be curious and question the unreasonable unjustified notions of society. If you refuse to entertain their questions, you are only blunting their inquisitive nature.

Indian parents’ reaction to sex is ridiculous! Is there any other activity which is considered a sin at a certain time frame with a certain set of people, and a virtue at a different time frame with a different person? I don’t think so! Women will continue to be objectified and continue to remain helpless about it unless at least basic sex education is introduced. People need to explore their sexuality in order to uncover their own identity. A large chunk of divorces in India happen due to sexual dissatisfaction and lack of sexual balance. An Indian woman is expected to ‘save’ her virginity for her husband. Yet often, after getting married, she and her husband both find out that they don’t complement each other’s needs. That’s a sad situation. Some people are not heterosexual and since talking about sex in society is not allowed, they do not find out about it till it’s too late and has already caused enough damage to lives. How are you supposed to teach boys to respect girls when you won’t even talk about girls with them? The way sex is treated in our society, it’s like we were not born through reproduction, but photosynthesis!

As parents I’m sure talking about sex is extremely awkward but the West call it the ‘Birds and Bees Talk’ and there are some TED talk videos which does it so well that you would wish they were the official instructors for sex education in your child’s school. We need to stop going all hush-hush at the mention of sexual topics because that is what gives children the impression that we are hiding something from them, as a result turning up their curiosity quotient. Do hit a like or leave a comment if you agree.