Source: Bajaj FinServe Health
Over the years the narrative of sexual health has changed. From giving the least importance to it; to creating awareness about it at the global level, sexual health and it's awareness have covered a long journey.
What Is Sexual Health? Why Is It So Important?
The answer to this is simple.
"According to W.H.O, Sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries. Sexual health, when viewed affirmatively, requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence."
As stated, in the above definition it's clear what sexual health is and why is it so important.
The Importance Of Sexual Health
Awareness about sexual health nowadays is the need of the hour. Although we Indians as a nation claim that we are on great terms with development we still have a long way to go. The importance and awareness of sexual health are very less in proportion in rural areas when compared to urban areas. There are still villages that don't know what sexual health is all about or why is it a necessity.
Sexual health is considered taboo in those villages, even talking about sexual health is considered a matter of shame in front of the villagers which in general can be said to them it's more heinous than a murder being committed!. Although campaigns on sexual health are been organized but serve no purpose because of the ignorance of the people towards the seriousness of this issue. This is the very reason why there's been a consistent deterioration in the mental as well as physical health of people, especially adolescents when it comes to sexual health.
Concerns Regarding Sexual Health In Teens
Early marriage and early pregnancy cause a gradual decline in teen mothers' health leading to increased mortality rates. The child at times is either born healthy or born with some chronic disease or dies just after birth leading to an increased infant mortality rate. Now talking about urban areas, the condition of sexual health is not that much deteriorated, but we can't say it's on good terms. In urban areas too, sexual health is neglected just like people neglect the importance of nutrients in their meals. Some of them understand its importance while some don't pay heed to it.
Teen Pregnancy: Who is At Fault?
Teen pregnancy is very common in urban areas. The very reason behind this is that teens are not even aware of the repercussions of their actions. They do not even understand the meaning of healthy sex. The reason is that even today there is no guidance or an open discussion about sex education or sex in particular in society, even parents feel a bit embarrassed to talk about sex, contraceptives, or masturbation with their kids when they reach a certain age.
There's not even an incentive to talk about menstruation openly in public. The kids when they try out their method to understand what these things are all about land up in trouble because of the wrong information provided to them by wrong sources and there's no means to cross-check it. All they learn is that these things are all about pleasure gaining and end up going for abortions or taking birth control pills which actually if repeated frequently can actually harm your reproductive health.
Examples Through Lens
Now, let's take a look at how Bollywood movies play an important role in promoting awareness for sexual health. For example, movies like 'khandani shafakhana' and 'janhit mein jaari' are the perfect examples to show how sexual health can be promoted in society without creating nuisances. These movies provide a greater outlook of how important and necessary sexual health has become in the country.
Conclusion
In the end, I want to conclude, that now it's high time that we should understand that sexual health has become a serious topic in the country. We need to focus on both long and short-term goals in order to bring awareness about it in society. When society will understand its importance and necessity then only we can say that a nation is progressing. A nation is only progressive or can become progressive when its society is progressing or is progressive. We still have a long way to go and that's only possible when each one of us becomes a responsible individual towards our duty in creating awareness about sexual health which is the need of the hour.
Written By - Riya Upadhyaya
Edited by - Kritika Sharma
.jpeg)
0 Comments