Sex is still a taboo subject in India. Victorian social rules and regulations, established during the British colonial era, remain central to public attitudes. Homosexuality was only legalized in 2018. In 2022, marital rape is still legal. Premarital sex is still frowned upon. And marriage always seems to be inevitable, especially for women. According to recent data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), less than 10% of Indian men use condoms, placing the burden of family planning on women.
It’s hard to escape the message that anything outside of this oppressive and narrow framework, especially single women having sex, same-sex relationships, and paid sex, is important. Sex with multiple partners and even masturbation, is evil, dirty, weird, and deserves to be punished.
“Sex”, a palpable vulgarity in the Indian lexicon, is used not only to refer to the two sexes meaning male and female but also our third biological need, the need to reproduce. Unlike the first two biological needs, hunger, and thirst, sex is not a necessity for survival but for the continuation of humanity. It serves as a menstrual booster in women and a nocturnal rash in boys. It prepares the body for intercourse as adolescents reach puberty.
In India, sex is a subject that is often criticized as it is considered humiliating and immoral to converse, especially with the elders of the society. Yacker and even expressing his own gender and sexual orientation are labeled vulgar and shameful. This petrification often forces young people to repress their needs and desires, and at the same time does not allow women to freely express the troubles related to the menstrual cycle and thus renders them impotent in life. Struggle to maintain good intimate hygiene.
Sexual representations in the media still tend to be medicalized and scary, such as reporting that focuses on illness and violence, or outrageous and obvious – relationship rumors celebrity relations, and sex (currently technically prohibited). Sex is rarely portrayed as casual, a topic we all can and should talk about honestly.
At school, if you’re lucky, you’ll get a half-hour summary of the reproductive system in biology class. A teacher can show diagrams of the penis and testicles, uterus, and ovaries. Erection, penetration, and ejaculation may be mentioned. You never see a pattern of the clitoris. For women, the message is clear: sex is childbirth, not orgasm. Non-binary gender identity and sexual acts other than intercourse are not recognized.
As a young single Indian woman trying to learn about her sexuality, sexual health, and relationships, there is no readily accessible and culturally appropriate information about sexuality.
The combination of social shame and stigma with a lack of accurate information has resulted in generations of ignorant youth having to figure out everything from safer sex to orgasm. At worst, it resulted in women being killed for not bleeding on their wedding night and gay teenagers being sent to quack to be “cured” through conversion practices.
Just because sex isn’t essential for survival doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Not everyone has the same spirit. A man may even steal to satisfy his hunger. Excessive repression can lead to heartbreaking anarchy, which can have devastating effects not only on individuals but on society as a whole. Lack of knowledge about sexual health and freedom in India is a big threat to uneducated people because of STDs (Sexual Transmitted Diseases).
Additionally, as parents shy away from conversations on the subject, young people are looking for new ways to get information from a variety of sources that sometimes involve gory details. Their curiosity can be detrimental as they try to find answers through the internet and social media. Online content contains sneaky facts that can be misleading because they serve no purpose to create insatiable fantasies. So more likely to be obsessed with lust.
Because of this society’s intolerance, even the use of contraception and vasectomy is local. The main obstacle slowing the development of sex education is the mental blockade caused by stereotypes about intercourse that needs to be cleared as soon as possible. The change in psychology and opinion requires society to be flexible and open to changes to ensure a progressive society.