Sexuality Education

Sex Education is a broad term used to describe education about the human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Sex Education is the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. It aims at reducing the risks of potentially negative outcomes from sexual behavior, like unwanted or unplanned pregnancies and infection with sexually transmitted diseases, and to enhance the quality of relationships. Talking about sex has been a tabooed subject in India for decades now. The land of the ‘Kamasutra’ itself is one of the most suppressed countries regarding sex. The ‘Kamasutra’ too talks of all the aspects of sex education and not just sexual positions, as commonly believed of the book. Sex is not considered a topic of conversation in today’s India. People are scared of discussing sex in public or even asking questions about it to doctors. This has to change. Education about all the aspects of sex and sexual behavior are necessary for every person who wants to live a happy and fulfilled life. Information is strength when it comes to this subject. The Indian Association Of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (IASECT) and Council of Sex Education & Parenthood International (CSEPI) are the two important bodies in field of sexology. They are trying to device a curriculum in sexuality education for Indian schools and colleges for last 20 years without any success. Prof. Dr. Prakash Verekar is attached to all major Indian and international associations of Sexology. He was a member of scientific committee of World association of Sex (WAS). He is a charter fellow of Indian Academy of Juvenile & Adolescent Gynecology and Obstetrics (IAGAGO) that deals with research and education of pre-teens and teenage girls’ femininity and reproduction.
The main hurdle in sex education in India is that the teachers who are in a convenient position to teach; are not equipped with the proper attitudes and knowledge of human sexuality, while the sexologists and doctors who have all the knowledge do not possess the ability and skill required to teach such the subject. Dr. Verekar is pursuing a doctorate in the university formulating a curriculum for high school students. Dr.Verekar was a member of a committee formed under the pioneer of sex education for medical colleges in India late Dean Dr. J.V. Bhatt to modulate sex education courses for Mumbai University. Unfortunately the scheme did not take off. Every educated person agrees to the need for sex education in schools and colleges in India. But right now there are no means to impart knowledge about this subject that will be politically correct and socially acceptable.
A few years ago, Dr. Verekar started a sexuality education magazine in Marathi for the common people. Thinking that eventually if an individual gets sex information from roadside books and magazines THEN why not provide scientific knowledge at roadside book vendors?
It was a very successful scheme. The sale roared to a staggering 60,000 copies per month with approximately 9,00,000 readership. Dr. Verekar designed this magazine similar to FORUM, the journal of human understanding. Forum is published from 7 important countries around the world and in 6 international languages. Incidentally Dr. Verekar is a member of The Forum Board of Consultants for the last 16 years. His name appears on the first page of every issue in England.

We are planning to start a distant education course in Sexuality Education on this web site. This course will be free to everyone. There will be a section of medical advice where any one can ask absolutely any thing about sexuality problem, difficulty, inadequacy, misconception etc. and get scientific answers. This will provide access to scientific knowledge at the privacy of one’s own computer. Most important fact is that this will be a purely Indian type of counseling. Dr. Verekar has 36 years of experience as a sex counselor. He has successfully counseled more than 90,000 patients from all over India. This section will be in Marathi and English.