Sex education should be compulsory in Kenya Sex education is not only limited to the organs of reproduction.
It aims at teaching children the difference between a good touch and a bad touch.
Unfortunately, many families in Kenya equate sex education with sexual relations, and think that children will ‘eventually come to know about everything related to sex’.
With the increasing exposure to TV and the internet, children often pick up wrong information and get into trouble. Therefore, it becomes imperative that children are informed about their bodies and made comfortable with their sexuality when they attain puberty.
The cases of child sex abuse are increasing in Kenya, and as is the number of unwanted childbirths in the past few years.
The government must include sex education in the school curriculum to counter problems such as teenage pregnancy, molestation, child abuse, and rape. Research has shown that sex education does not promote promiscuity but only spreads awareness.
Therefore, it should be made compulsory in schools. It is not only schools that conduct sessions on sex education. A child’s family is the closest to him or her and hence, it is also the parent’s responsibility to educate children about their bodies and sexuality in a non-judgmental way based on facts.
If children learn about sexuality in schools, they might end up using that information in an excellent way. And introducing sex education in schools cannot divert the attention of children.
The cases of child sex abuse can decrease if schools impart sex education to children. Making sex education compulsory in Kenya will decrease the number of young sexual offenders. Hence, it should be made compulsory in Kenya.
Research has shown that sex education does not promote promiscuity, it instead spreads awareness. Sex education in Kenya should therefore be made compulsory in schools.
Alvin Mwangi is a sexual reproductive health and rights youth expert at Network of Adolescents and Youth of Africa, Kenya @alvinmwangi254
