NACO releases revised sex education manual

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NACO releases revised sex education manual

August 10, 2008,

It has taken two years for the National Aids Control Organization or NACO to

bring out a revised sex education manual after major flaws were reported in the

earlier one. But despite the long delayed revisions huge shortcomings still

remain.

Sakshi Sharma a student of Delhi's Veer Savarkar Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya has

just turned fourteen and like many of her classmates has questions about sex.

She thinks the internet may help her with sex education chapters that the

government wants to introduce in schools by the end of this year.

" Since the diagrams have been deleted, we may have to depend upon external

sources for information. But there, nobody will be able to tell us what is right

or wrong, " said Sakshi.

Detailed diagrams and flip charts were all part of the original manual developed

for sex education by the National Aids Control Organization. But states like

Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra objected and a watered-down version has been

prepared over two years. It's now posted on the net at nacoonline.org for

feedback from parents, students and teachers.

But those who have been involved in revising the sex education manual say that

it's best to introduce the subject slowly.

" Earlier, the content was explicit and needed revision. This revised version is

culturally acceptable, " said Jitendra Nagpal, member, sub-committeee, NACO.

But the reviews to the online draft are harsh.

" Students need to be told about basic sexual acts like sexual intercourse and

masturbation, " said Veena Batra, principal, Veer Savarkar Sarvodaya Kanya

Vidyalaya.

While the NACO manual is being drafted Delhi's government schools are making do

with a sex education manual prepared by local experts. Diagrams describing the

anatomy of man and woman are missing from this book as well. So for now

teenagers say they rely upon each other for information which is a dangerous

trend for a city where sexual awareness is setting in earlier.

" It has been seen that children get exposed to sex and sexuality through

internet and other sources from the age of 12, 13 onwards. The exposure is more

in public schools but the government school children too are equally exposed to

this. So, it is necessary that they are provided with basic and right

information on this, " said Dr Rajesh Sagar, psychiatrist, AIIMS.

Correct information is critical at a time when Delhi reported 15,970 HIV/AIDS

cases last year. Of them 27.9 per cent or nearly 4,500 victims are between 15

and 29 years. More alarmingly, 1000 out of the 2000 new HIV/AIDS victims each

year belong to this age group

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