Without trying to be sarcastic or
attempting to be intellectually mischievous, I am often confused about the
usage of the term sex education and sexuality education, which I often find
being used interchangeably in most academic literatures and advocacy resources
of a good number of our reputable NGOs. Sex education is broadly defined as
instruction on issues relating to human sexuality including sexual anatomy,
sexual reproduction, sexual activity, reproductive health, emotional relations,
reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence and birth control.
The term sex education may have been adopted
from the more liberal developed countries where issues of sexual activity are
freely discussed for many of our advocacy programs in reproductive health. Human sexuality is broader than mere sexual
activity as it encompasses all the
issues that define us as girls and boys, men and women, and everything in
between. Potently shaped by cultural values, religion, history, family
tradition, parenthood and community.
In our contemporary society, children are
exposed to sexual imagery and language especially in the local and
international media and their bodies are experiencing and developing sexual
responsiveness earlier than it used to be coupled with globalization of values.
Their curiosity is inevitable and the answers
they get should clarify and not confuse them. Adolescence is a particularly
stressful and confusing time as both physical and cognitive aspects of sexual expressions
begin to align and the opportunities for personal decision making expand as
they move to high school or the university. Parents and guardians as
stakeholders desire that they correctly manage their sexual drive as they
navigate through myriads of counsels in the process of maturing into adulthood.
As a response to this perceived need; a typical African parent after years of refusing to discuss it despite
evident signs of sexual maturation in the adolescent may come up with a deceitful sex education augmented by several rules and regulations deliberately
designed to discourage the adolescent from doing anything about the
sexual drive which is potentially active as a result of the elaborating hormones
especially at this time. This strategy although puritanical, largely
ignores the fact that the adolescents according to the cognitive theory of Piaget is
at the stage of hypothetical- deductive- reasoning when they
attempt to validate or otherwise
discard evolving strategies emanating from
strange bodily experiences ,personal
observation and counsels from other sources.
Such adolescents may feel deceived by parents, shut down communication avenues especially concerning sexuality and subscribe to external unreliable sources especially from peers. The other extreme is the liberal, educated parents who adopt the explicit, heavily biological and demonstrative Sex education designed in conformity to the very popular sex education programs of our public health advocates with a view of preventing teenage pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases especially HIV/AIDS. The two hypothetical parents have the same goal in mind but taking different pathways; the first is typically African, restrictive with abstinence in mind while the latter is purely scientific, liberal and may teach contraceptive methods to the adolescents. The two groups have very valid points borrowing strength from science, religion and culture. The ultimate goal of any form of sexuality or sex education is eloquently captured in the concept of sexual health, which is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing in relation to sexuality, and not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences free from coercion, discrimination and violence.
Sigmund Freud had earlier on envisaged that the biological quality of the sexual drive might be over emphasized when he described it as the underlying unconscious motivation for all of life activities. This premise makes us human not just beasts and challenges us to come up with continuous personal appraisal and management of our sexual drive in the direction of wholesomeness not just an inevitable physiological dissipation. For the contemporary sex educationist; it seems there is an overemphasis on the biological dimensions of sexuality to the detriment of other sophisticated dimensions of human sexuality such as self-dignity and respect, taking responsibility for choice of partner and the act, taking informed decision for the timing of the act and possible outcome, developing skills for the consideration of the feelings of sexual partner, evolving personal strategies for control and responsible expression. Human beings do not want to be enslaved by any appetite hence our sex education must take into consideration the inherent self-transcendent passion that differentiates human beings from animals especially for our sexual drive. This graduates the concept of sex education from a narrow paradigm of the adolescent need and makes it relevant applicable across life span with the ultimate goal of developing sexually healthy human beings.
Such adolescents may feel deceived by parents, shut down communication avenues especially concerning sexuality and subscribe to external unreliable sources especially from peers. The other extreme is the liberal, educated parents who adopt the explicit, heavily biological and demonstrative Sex education designed in conformity to the very popular sex education programs of our public health advocates with a view of preventing teenage pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases especially HIV/AIDS. The two hypothetical parents have the same goal in mind but taking different pathways; the first is typically African, restrictive with abstinence in mind while the latter is purely scientific, liberal and may teach contraceptive methods to the adolescents. The two groups have very valid points borrowing strength from science, religion and culture. The ultimate goal of any form of sexuality or sex education is eloquently captured in the concept of sexual health, which is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing in relation to sexuality, and not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences free from coercion, discrimination and violence.
Sigmund Freud had earlier on envisaged that the biological quality of the sexual drive might be over emphasized when he described it as the underlying unconscious motivation for all of life activities. This premise makes us human not just beasts and challenges us to come up with continuous personal appraisal and management of our sexual drive in the direction of wholesomeness not just an inevitable physiological dissipation. For the contemporary sex educationist; it seems there is an overemphasis on the biological dimensions of sexuality to the detriment of other sophisticated dimensions of human sexuality such as self-dignity and respect, taking responsibility for choice of partner and the act, taking informed decision for the timing of the act and possible outcome, developing skills for the consideration of the feelings of sexual partner, evolving personal strategies for control and responsible expression. Human beings do not want to be enslaved by any appetite hence our sex education must take into consideration the inherent self-transcendent passion that differentiates human beings from animals especially for our sexual drive. This graduates the concept of sex education from a narrow paradigm of the adolescent need and makes it relevant applicable across life span with the ultimate goal of developing sexually healthy human beings.
Dr. Adeoye Oyewole
adeoyewole2000@yahoo.com
+234 803 490 5808 (WhatsApp Only)
Image 1 - lobisuriname.org
Image 1 - lobisuriname.org
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