Feature Articles

Which youth sexuality education topic is my main concern?

Ref Number: FP0907A

  • Date10 Jul 2009
  • Category FamPlus2 Says
  • TargetsN/A
  • AuthorFamPlus2 member - Billy Yuen
  • Topic Sexuality Education

The lack of sex knowledge of young people is my main concern.

Sexuality is innate, a gift given by nature, yet often being ignored. In Hong Kong society, sex is a taboo subject which cannot be openly discussed. Even it could be discussed, the feelings of shame is unavoidable as sex is labeled as something you could only do privately. Ignorance and the lack of open discussion lead to the fallacy and the prejudice in understanding sexuality. When you take a look at our school sexuality education, you will find out that it is not being delivered in every school. Although guidelines are provided by the Education Bureau, whether schools are going to implement is still optional. It makes us wonder how sexuality education is going to be promoted among young people when the school is not providing adequate sexuality education. Some people said that Liberal Studies has also covered sexuality education. Yes, this is true - in biological aspect only, which is not enough. Sexuality education should be all-round and delivered through discussion.

Young people cannot receive sexuality education in school, it’s even impossible to have that from the traditional Chinese families, where parents dare not to, or even don’t know how to speak up on this issue. Hence, young people can only acquire sex knowledge through other channels, like porn movies, magazines, friends, mass media, etc. I am not saying something wrong with these channels – they can be positive also – yet the negative impacts are somehow inevitable. For instance, in porn movies, female characters are forced to have sex, yet youth may misinterpret their feelings as enjoyable. And young people may hear from friends that they will not get pregnant without using condoms or by coitus interruption. If they really believe so, that would make them more confused and this is irresponsible to both themselves and the others.

Therefore, I think young people are at the stage of being very curious about sex, and this is normal. Yet sex is always covered in a veil, and being perceived as something harmful, which further pushes young people to helplessness. Only more understanding and discussion could change the view on sexuality as a natural and normal gift.