Health Ministry comes out of the closet to talk to teens about homosexuality and consent

Sex education in India has always been a taboo topic. Not only our parents keep mum about the "birds and the bees", but our school system also deliberately chooses to ignore it.

Teenage years can be a very confusing time for a child, especially when he/she is struggling to find answers to the questions thrown at them by their rapidly changing bodies. This is why it's important that every adolescent has the right avenues to educate themselves about sex.

However, with no resources at hand, teenagers often fall prey to inadequate or false information, which often leads to problems such as teenage pregnancy.

In a bid to educate teenagers, the Ministry of Health has launched 'Saathiya Resource Kits' that are aimed at improving knowledge on adolescent health issues.

The Ministry has also launched 'Saathiya Salah', a mobile app for adolescents, under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) program. They have also decided to involve 1.65 lakh peer educators in a bid to make sex education an important part of schools. 

If you thought this is the only good thing about the program, then you're wrong.

Homosexuality and consent are also a part of the resource material! That's right, in a country where Section 377 still exists and criminalizes homosexuality, the Ministry has taken a step in the sensitive direction.

The material will address various questions pertaining to safe sex, homosexuality, consent, and even masturbation. It will aim to tell young people that it is all right to "feel attraction" for the opposite sex or the same sex during adolescence.

The resource material says: "Yes, adolescents frequently fall in love. They can feel attraction for a friend or any individual of the same or opposite sex. It is normal to have special feelings for someone. It is important for adolescents to understand that such relationships are based on mutual consent, trust, transparency and respect. It is alright to talk about such feelings to the person for whom you have them but always in a respectful manner… Boys should understand that when a girl says 'no' it means no."

'Saathiya' resource kit launched today for peer educators under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram. #SwasthaBharat pic.twitter.com/pkUKyf8GWb

- Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) February 20, 2017

The resource material, which has been prepared in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, also dispels gender stereotypes on mental health. It says that it is fine for boys to cry and categorisations such as "sissy" and "tomboy" are inappropriate.

"A boy can cry to give vent to his feelings. He can also be soft-spoken or shy. Being rude and insensitive is not a sign of masculinity. It is alright for boys to like things like cooking and designing that are normally associated with girls; adopting the role of the other gender does not mean that he is not male. The same applies for girls who talk too much or like to dress like boys or play games like boys. It is wrong to label such people as 'sissy' or 'tomboy'".

The kit also tackles the issue of reproductive health, especially the use of contraceptives, pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Although dealing with the families these children come from maybe challenging, given how our society is. But as our schools lack other holistic approaches, this kit may turn out to be the most effective way to educate kids.

We don't know about you, we are definitely lauding the government for taking such a progressive step.