Importance Of Sexual Education

Introduction:

Sexual education teaches people that sexuality is a natural, normal, healthy part of life and sexual education is needed in high schools to teach young adults not only the dangers of sex such as unwanted pregnancies or STDs, as well as the many other aspects to sex that aren’t spoken about such as identifying ones sexual preference (gay, straight etc.), relationships, protection, the emotional aspect of it, the maturity required and how sex actually works and not just the sexual organs which is what is usually taught to young adults who are going through adolescence which is a very challenging time for many. Sexual education should clarify the issues involved with the topic and not confuse people. Sexual education is needed everywhere

gay, bisexual, pansexual etc.) and other aspects of human sexual etiquette. In South Africa there is great controversy over the appropriateness of sexual education in high schools. Religion and the many different South African cultures consider sexuality as taboo, something that should not be discussed with children or adolescents. Some cultures declare that a child lives in the parents’ house until they are ready to get married. Even though different South African cultures (i.e. Xhosas) don’t expect a woman to be a virgin before she marries, however parents still keep their daughters away from the opposite sex. Traditionally girls are taught to compose themselves well in such a way so they do not expose themselves and being considered as immodest which makes young males curious and inquisitive to know what it is that is so precious that they have to hide which often leads to rape amongst school children such as in the case of a grade 2 being raped twice in one year by different groups of boys that she attended school with (SABC, 2015). Traditionally, boys are not taught anything about the anatomy of women, thus making those very ignorant to the struggle women face on a daily basis with their bodies which re more complex than the males. Religion, on the other hand, is also very uncompromising when it comes to teaching sexual education in schools, the church more especially insists on absolute abstinence until one is properly and legally married. Like in many African countries, South Africa's sex education does not go beyond AIDS prevention teaching, which people believe that the threat of contracting the STD will delay sexual intercourse until marriage