Put a Plug in It: The Absence of Abstinence and the Need for Contraception
Sexual attraction is unavoidable. When a young teenager sees a beautiful member of the opposite sex, 9 out of 10 times, he’d probably want to imagine what she looks like naked. Pakistan’s youth is essentially not that different. Despite an elaborate religious facade put on by most individuals, what happends behind closed doors, is slowly coming to light. As the western influence on Pakistan lays the cultural values to siege, more and more individuals are letting go of their prudish parts and adopting new, more “unzipped” ones. In light of this sexual awakening, steps have to be taken, or Pakistan might be on it’s way to being STD central.
The government of Pakistan’s main approach on the matter remains largely ignorant. It has often been claimed that as relationships out of wedlock are “non-existent” in Pakistan, Sex Ed. is entirely unneeded.
Yet, in light of what I have seen since my last visit to Pakistan back in July, it is now needed more than ever before. As public displays of affection slowly become more common, a new door is being opened to a more modern society. Parents might want to be a little more careful when they lend the family car to their kids for the night out, because the back seat will probably end up being used for things other than carrying passengers. Kids need to know what they’re getting themselves into. Life is not a game.
At this point, awareness about STDs and contraception, are limited primarily to handouts that non government organization hand out at local fairs. Nothing systematic really exists. The youth needs to be aware of the activities they are engaging in, while parents must effectively communicate with them, to touch base, on what base they’re on. Denying that there is any physical interaction between the sexes is a blind approach, and something that can have dire consequences. With most children looking to dictionaries and cheap porn sites, for sexual advice, a change is needed.
Schools need to impose mandatory courses, such as Health and Sex Ed. For students, so that students don’t take risks without realizing the end impact of their actions. The importance of safe sex must be emphasized and contraception must be made available to those that seek it. Whatever religious values are engrained in the minds of the countless younglings of Pakistan, it has to be established that sex is inevitable. There might be those who consider religion to be the supreme code of life, but there will always be those drawn to more material pleasure. Ignoring them is not the answer. Regulating them is.
Without any comprehension whatsoever of how to act responsibly, one cannot just assume that children have a sexual revelation. Some things are learnt with experience and unless they are given the expertise they need, more botched abortions, honor killings and deaths will transpire. HIV is already a global problem, and as more and more individuals thrust into their partners, it will eventually become Pakistan’s problem just as much. What was only limited to the red light districts of the country, will eventually go beyond their borders, unless steps are taken. Handing out pamphlets that are tossed out anyway, won’t stop it. Proactive action will. Pakistan is already losing the war on many fronts and this one seems next.
Is that truly what we want? Pakistan lacks infrastructure, wealth and large scale standardized education amongst other things. We cannot afford to have an illegitimate population explosion or an STD epidemic be added to that list. Without change, Pakistan is headed onto a dark road that lacks a future. Only awareness can light the path and give Pakistan what it needs; a license to truly go the distance.
