Sushed sessions and muted talks.

The first time I ever heard the word sex in a formal setting was in grade 10th while studying the chapter “Reproduction in Animals.” But let’s be honest we all knew much more about the term that the chapter taught us (all thanks to American dramas and certain books iykyk).

Nevertheless, one of my most vivid memories is of attending a session that the school authorities had termed as “The Sensitization Talk” and honestly, all jokes apart, it was indeed a well planned and executed event where the speaker called girls and boys in different groups and gave us “the talk.” Now, don’t get me wrong, it was very important and a knowledgeable session, but the fact that girls and boys were segregated in different groups was something with which we all felt uneasy about since it was for the first time something like that had happened. Unknown to us, many such sessions awaited us in the future.

However, as the years passed and we moved to senior classes, I realised that the word 'sex'and the terms related to it were still a taboo, more for the teachers than for the students. It made me realise that while we as the upcoming generation are ready to be educated about something as important as sex, which is one of the most important life processes, (that is the CBSE student inside me talking!) our adults are not as free with us to talk about it. However, it is important that they understand the implications of them not clearly educating us about it.

It is high time for the word SEX to NOT remain a taboo in the society, because let us be honest... THE STORKS DID NOT DELIVER THE BABIES!!!

AADYA TANEJA

18