Kristoffer Kent Acharon October 06, 2022

11 – De Acosta B Sir Artnuel Mulawan

Sexual Education, or the Lack Thereof

When I say the word S-E-X or sex do you feel a sense of uneasiness or are you uncomfortable?
Exactly. This word shouldn’t even make you feel uncomfortable in the first place. That is why I
am a firm believer and an advocate for a good Sexual Education curriculum especially here in
our country, the Philippines, where it is almost non-existent.

The lack of a curriculum like this sprout even more problems instead of solving them. One
problem it contributes to is that teenage pregnancy especially here in the Philippines is sadly at a
very high rate. According to UNFPA or the United Nations Population Fund, one in ten Filipinas
aged 15 to 19 is already a mother. In another statistic presented by the PSA or Philippine
Statistics Authority, 96.0 percent of babies born to mothers under 15 are illegitimate, meaning
they were born out of a valid and registered marriage. It is important to teach students about the
proper usage of contraceptives, it is much better for them to be safe than face unwanted
consequences like teenage pregnancy which could lead to even more problems such as halting
their education, poverty, the lack of capability in providing for their children, etc.

Promoting abstinence and refusing to discuss sex education is also much worse. Considering the
Philippines is a very conservative Catholic country, any form of sexual act is immediately seen
as taboo. It is important to note that it is in this stage that most teenagers’ reproductive system
develops, and hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone increase exponentially.
Due to the lack of information being given out by schools, teenagers tend to look for information
online which isn't inherently safe nor the best way to learn about stuff like this, they might get
misinformed or become too desensitized which could lead to harm and abuse.

Stigmas are also built, which leads to discrimination. A good sex education curriculum can help
teenagers understand their feelings, helps them understand the risks, and helps them steer away
from these so-called 'risks' such as sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually Transmitted Diseases
are rampant, take HIV for example from 1984 until July 2020, there have been 79,082 diagnosed
in the Philippines. Because of misinformation or the total lack of information, stigmas are built
against STDs, and people who contract them, people tend to leave them out and avoid them. Due
to the preconceived perception, many people are afraid to reach out, seek help, and get treated.
The Government and schools in the Philippines need to stop tergiversating and start teaching a
thoroughly thought-of curriculum for Sex Education, one that doesn't shame students or
teenagers for asking and for simply being curious. One that is informative, one that is
comprehensive, and one that is progressive. As the Dutch Philosopher Desiderius Erasmus once
said, “Prevention is better than cure”.