THROUGH UNTRUE
One might wonder why the issue of sex education is being revived once again. In 2012, the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act was passed into law and later upheld by the Supreme Court. This law mandates the integration of sexuality education into the existing curriculum for primary through Grade 12 students. In 2018, the Department of Education also established the Policy Guidelines for the Implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE).
Could this recycling of the sex education controversy be another red herring, which is designed to distract us from more pressing national concerns such as inflation, corruption, and mismanagement of the national budget? Or, it may also be a tool for politicians seeking media attention, positioning themselves strategically for the next election.
Understanding human sexuality requires a comprehensive approach, considering its physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. Legislators advocating for the introduction of complex sexual concepts to children and adolescents could consider a few lessons from the U.S. experience.
When sex education was first introduced in US schools, proponents argued that it would free children from outdated views on sex, particularly traditional sexual morality. The goal was to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their sexuality. However, many Americans today doubt if current sexual education programs truly achieve these objectives.
For example, many parents have noticed that sex education programs tend to equate sexuality with genitality. This oversimplifies sex as a mere activity for genital pleasure—one that can be enjoyed as long as it does not lead to unwanted consequences. Under this framework, the focus is on pleasure without complications. And what genital activity can easily achieve this? It is solitary sex (masturbation). One who engages in this activity need not consider issues like gender, age, sexual orientation, or the need to develop meaningful relationships.
When children internalize this mindset, they may become sexually active before they are emotionally or psychologically prepared to handle the consequences of their actions. They may come to view sex as just another recreational activity, similar to riding a bike or going on a picnic. Their fear of disease or pregnancy is mitigated by the availability of contraceptives, such as pills, devices, and procedures.
Our legislators may consider what researchers in the US have discovered— sex education programs are most effective when they include teaching children the value of sexual restraint before marriage. This may explain why many US states require that sexual abstinence be emphasized in sex education programs. The “Abstinence-plus” curricula, which combine sexual abstinence with reproductive health measures, should be the preferred model for schools aiming to provide effective, evidence-based sexuality education.
In a world that is increasingly becoming permissive, abstaining from sex before one gets married is often seen as impractical, unrealistic, or outdated. Yet many young Americans choose to take a different path. For example, young men involved in movements like “True Love Waits” would promise to do the following:
“I pledge to strive for maturity by exercising restraint and avoiding actions that could harm others. I will never ask a woman to compromise her moral convictions for my own pleasure, even if we have strong feelings for each other. I will never ask a woman to jeopardize her mental or physical health, self-respect, reputation, education, or future plans by engaging in genital sexual activity with me before marriage. Even if my girlfriend asks me to, I will never risk fathering a child outside of marriage, especially when I am not prepared to provide the stable future that my child deserves.”
Sex education modules that teach the youth to make such a commitment reflect a deeper understanding of the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of human sexuality. Such modules go beyond discussing the genital pleasures of solitary or premarital sex, or preventing the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.