It is Time for Sex ED in High School

Parents are often looking out for their kids. They do not wish to expose them to the ills of the world. A Sex Education program was proposed for introduction into Kenyan schools some time back and was widely shunned, both by the parents and the teachers. Each parties claiming that it would expose the teens to stuff they were not ready for.

Late last week however, 15 male students were found sleeping in a girl’s dorm in Mbeere South, Embu County. The boys from Embu High School, sneaked into St Mary Gachoka, cut off the power and entered into a dorm according to a report from Nation. Talk of guts.

The 11 form four, three form three, and one form one student arrived in taxis after contacting the girls via mobile phones. “Guys, aren’t exams going on? How do you escape during exams? If you miss a paper, means you can’t graduate from high school. Why forfeit a whole year for just a night of fun?” asked a parent.

The school’s watchman heard male voices and alerted the school principal, who called the police at 2am. Local police boss said the boys were taken to hospital to establish if they had had sex. The boys were then arrested perhaps for vandalism and breaking and entering. No action was taken on the girls. A Nairobian says, “This is a bit sexist, the girls should also be in line in hospital with the boys, not just to check for sex but for STDs as well.”

A concerned citizen notes that arranging sex for 15 people, together with transportation and the sneaking is just logistical genius! “The girls are in as much fault as the boys. Without an invitation, the boys would not have just gone!” he reiterates.

“If it was rape, there would have been screams and mayhem. Not just solja hearing male voices. And calling the police so calmly, and arrests so smooth, I mean, the boys were ‘asleep’,” he adds.

Bonnie, an older brother laments that, “Yet parents were against introduction of sex education and family planning in school less it ‘spoils’ their children.” For every action, there is a reaction, in this case for every choice there is a consequence. You have to understand fully what the implications of your actions are. Dad always taught abstinence to me, not preached it. He said he is a boy (dah!!) and gave me a little insight on the boy brain.

My parents explained why it is important to abstain;
• According to science, anyone you have sex with, you pick up their bad traits. It affects you totally. Even those one night stands, you never forget. Sex has such major emotional implications that even science doesn’t fully understand.
• Risk of diseases. My mum always said, “A baby we can take care of, but my dear child, what happens if you contract AIDS?” I have never forgotten. Our generation has to worry about so much in sex. There is chlamydia, herpes, UTIs, syphilis, gonorrhoea, etc
• Pregnancy. Kenya does not have proper schools for pregnant girls. If you get pregnant in high school, it is practically the end of your education. It becomes very hard being a teen, a parent, and still have to be in school. Often you have to drop out of school. Our society is increasingly becoming more paperised; employees now look at degrees on top of the skills one has.
• Proper Planning. We all have dreams. We all wish to be successful and have a superb happy future. All that depends on that you do today. If you drop out of high school cause of sex issues, just cause of one night, you miss college, you din get a super uni, don get a proper job/entrepreneur, you don get your dream.

Sex is that powerful. A few minutes of fun can literally shape the rest of your life. Think wisely my lovelies. Keep safe and remember to enjoy your childhood, leave adult stuff to the adults. As an oldie you will miss your youth, so have legal fun while you still can. No hurry in growing up.

Do you think it is time we allowed for a comprehensive sex ed course to be taught in high schools?

By Zahra