Youth, though an exciting period of life, can also be stressful. Heightened biological, physical and emotional changes can bewilder the young people.

In this period, young people tend to explore their bodies and relationships, assert their independence, establish their own identity, accept social and personal responsibility, exercise judgment & practice the skills necessary to become productive members of society.  This is influenced by the hormonal or biological changes that take place during this phase of development.

Sex education seeks to provide a scientific information base on the basic physiology of the sexual organs, enhance the quality of relationships among young people, help them develop a positive sexual identity, reduce the risks of potentially negative outcomes from sexual behaviour like unwanted or unplanned pregnancies and infections with sexually transmitted diseases etc. It is also about developing young people’s ability to make decisions over their entire lifetime. Sex education that works, by which we mean that it is effective, is sex education that contributes to this overall aim. If sex education is going to be effective it needs to include opportunities for young people to develop skills, as it can be hard for them to act on the basis of only having information (4)

Important skills include being able to recognize pressures from other people and to resist them, deal with and challenge prejudices, seek help from adults including parents, carers and professionals – through the family, community and health and welfare services. Sex education that works, also helps equip young people with the skills to be able to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information, discuss a range of moral and social issues and perspectives on sex and sexuality, including different cultural attitudes and sensitive issues like sexuality, abortion and contraception (5)

  Ingredients for success in sex Education:

 It is important to provide information which educates in all aspects of positive sexuality, including birth control, safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases, masturbation and self pleasuring anatomy, diverse sexual orientation and identification, sexual and romantic relationship and communication tools, and care and compassion in sexual technique and practise.

A survey of students in five colleges in Bombay by Gurmeet Hans (Tata Institute for Social Sciences, unpublished, 1992) revealed that young people who visit the SECRT centres (Sex education, counselling, research, training/therapy branch of FPAI) expressed their concerns as follows:

·        Sexuality (all aspects e.g. body image) ·        Acceptance by peers ·         Pre-marital sex ·        Emotional problems ·         Masturbation ·        Marriage ·        Night emissions ·        Menstrual disorders

·        Acne ·        AIDS/STIs/RTIs ·        Contraception ·        Dental problems ·        Fear of cancer ·        Nutrition ·        Growth ·        Exercise ·        Weight problems

It also revealed that students felt the need for guidance about physical health, human relations, self-development and their future roles as adults.

Young people thought they could expect sex education and vocational guidance as well as advice on personal issues from teachers but some preferred a combination of services from teachers and professionals.

As a result of this survey, further study is needed to look into the significant events in a young person’s life, such as sexual maturation, couple formation etc.

In another case, a review of 23 studies found that effective sex education programs share the following characteristics (6)

1.      Narrow focus on reducing sexual risk taking behaviours that may lead to HIV/STD infection or unintended pregnancy.

2.      Social learning theories as a foundation for program development, focusing on recognizing social influences, changing individual values, changing group norms, and building social skills.

3.      Experimental activities designed to personalize basic, accurate information about the risks of unprotected intercourse and methods of avoiding unprotected intercourse.

4.      Activities that address social or media influences on sexual behaviours

5.      Reinforcing clear and appropriate values to strengthen individual values and group norms against unprotected sex.

6.      Modelling and practices in communication, negotiation, and refusal skills.

·        A successful sex education module for young people needs to demonstrate the personal, social and medical dimensions and provide physical and psychological solutions. An example of one such programme put together after surveying many successful Indian and International programmes is shown below. The programme in India was successfully used in the project Spearhead Youth Health where young peer group counsellors were trained. The post evaluation comments and subsequent core of young people helping the FPAI indicates its success.