Sex education

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

After strongly contesting the sex education modules of the Department of Education being “contraceptive-mentality,” the Catholic Church through the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) shall come up with its own version of sex education. The conservative church noted that sex education should be given by the “right persons who know about values.”

Whatever it is about values and who should give such, the Catholic Church had always, seemingly been directly and indirectly conscious of what people do with their sex organs.

The public is very much familiar with the Catholic Church’s stand against contraceptives. And so the church goes for the rhythm method because such is pro-life and does not interfere with the natural production of reproductive hormones.

What I find disturbing is that the holy voice of the church interferes during the rest of the fertile days of the woman implying that the couple should control their libido and not engage in sexual activities using contraceptives like condom or pills as this kills life.

One gets the nagging advice to practice self-control at the height of sexual urge and avoid contraceptives, otherwise, engage in sex and get pregnant. I can hear someone say the Church should not be interfering in the private bedroom of a couple as to whether or not to engage in sex or use contraceptives.

For the Roman Catholic church’s version of sex education, I would like to leave this to the church with its gospel based-faith and justification. So let me indulge.

I welcome this contraceptive-mentality of sex education by the DepEd. I note it is not that radically deviating from the usual sex education received during my elementary and high school days - that about knowing the different parts of the reproductive organs of man and woman.

I also remember a high school teacher teaching about the different contraceptives while my classmates and I listened with suppressed giggles. Within the realm of sex education nowadays though, there is a need for innovative methods and updated knowledge to impart, considering contemporary issues including HIV Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases which the youth and children of today should be informed about.

That is, sex education within a contraceptive-mentality is necessary among the youth, young adults and couples nowadays. Children and youth nowadays get their sex education through the easily accessible internet whether parents like it or not as they don’t guard their children all the time. The internet displays anything sexual from courtship to dating to different parts of the sexual organs to sexual positions of love making. Sex education of all forms can be found in magazines and comic books aside from the internet. Such also is being openly discussed by adults within earshot among children and adults. What is of sexual content is also read in easily available pocket books and watched on TV and in the movies. Sex education is available to children and young adults from different sources.

Schools offer one of the best venues to learn about sex - responsible sex, matured dating and courtship, parts of the sexual organs - without not having to go into learning about positions of doing sex, unless such topic is taught to more matured youth and already married couples.

Above all reproductive health matters. Go for the RH Bill proposed by Rep. Edcel Lagman. Before we go further about the effect of population increase to development and poverty issues in the country, let me continue talking about sex and the Catholic Church.

I also came across a book published by the London-based Catholic Truth Society telling people to ‘pray before sex’. I was just wondering: before the Our Father or the Hail Mary is finished being chanted, the urge to have sex jumped out of the window. I guess the next best thing to do for the couple is to have a cup of milk then wish their partner goodnight. Tomorrow is another day.

Anyway, the said prayer before sex is aimed at 'purifying their intentions' so that the act is not about selfishness or hedonism. The prayer, which appears in the Prayer Book for Spouses, implores God 'to place within us love that truly gives, tenderness that truly unites, self-offering that tells the truth and does not deceive, forgiveness that truly receives, loving physical union that welcomes'. The prayer aims to recognize that God is at the heart of the marriage relationship between husband and wife, and for the Church to affirm the value of marriage and family life. So be it.

Before I go into talking about marriage and sex and family life which I am no expert as I am not married, I better stop here and wish you a happy, spiritual and responsible sexual life. Practice safe sex.