I have a Korean-American friend. She is going to college this year. Her mother asked her about the type of contraceptives she would like to have for college. At first, I was impressed that her mother was open and accepting of a doctor's judgement about when to have sex and with whom. But when we were talking, she revealed to me that her mother considered contraceptives because Asian women are the most likely to be raped in colleges in America and wanted to be safe from any pregnancies.
IT got me thinking about why this is the case. The only reason I could think of was Asian families not being open about sex. The situation leads to Asian women not reporting the crimes against them. The method that Asian parents adopt to protect their children from sex and unwanted pregnancies made their daughters more vulnerable to it.
A few years ago, a new law was passed in India the Prohibited advertisements for condoms from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. because the ads were 'dirty' and inappropriate for children. Looking at it, one gets a clear idea about how sex is treated in India. The very people who need education about contraceptives are not allowed to know about them.
One could blame the manufacturing companies for making inappropriate ads. I agree that they are equally at fault for focusing on the desire to have sex and not on what their product does. It might make young people more likely to indulgence sexual acts before they are physically, mentally and emotionally ready for it.
One thing that surprises me is the number of Ions of sanitary napkins or pads. Even though society treats sex, and by extension, sex education as a taboo, it has started accepting some aspects of sex education. It makes me feel that the stigma surrounding sex education will soon collapse, leading to the parents and society being more open about it.
- Divyajot Singh
