The original article was written by Aaron Ng, undergraduate in the National University of Singapore.
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Average age of Singaporeans experiencing sex for the first time? 18.4
Average age of marriage in Singapore? 30.2
These figures are alarming; but not as alarming as they could be. For instance, the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the world is in fact 143 per 1000 girls aged 15-19 years in sub-Saharan Africa; which would of course imply that the occurrences of sexual activity are even higher. 80% of British teenagers admitted that they had engaged in sexual activity while still studying in their junior college level education institute, or even before that. In fact, even though figures of pre-marital sex are rising in our country, Singapore is still widely considered as already a "well-behaved" country in terms of sexual activity. Still, pre-marital sex does have its consequences.
There are many associated social problems with pre-marital sexual activity, namely that of teenage pregnancy, teenage mothering, teenage abortions, and spread of sexually-transmitted diseases. All these are usually based on immature thinking and irresponsible Teenagers sometimes do not realise the consequences of their actions when fueled by impulsive passion and the heat of the moment. If the actions of the two partners lead to a pregnancy, the choice of abortion or raising the baby is a choice between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes, other consequences may show years later when one or the other of the partners is diagnosed with AIDS or HIV. By then, regret comes too late.
The best way to solve this is in sex education. Prevention is better than cure, so the question is, quote, "not whether something should be done about the issue, but who should be doing something about the issue." Does the duty fall to the parents and relatives? Or does it stand with the government and, in extension, the teachers?
Sex has always been a taboo in the Singaporean family society. Parents shirk at even mentioning the word, resulting in a trend of ignorance-breeds-curiosity in the child. Teachers are too conservative, and some may feel embarrassed talking about the topic. By secondary school level, the usual norm for introducing sex education, the student has already developed a skeptical and cynical attitude towards teachers and sometimes their parents, and it is hard to drill the concept of "safe (pre-marital) sex" into them.
I agree with the author's diagnosis. For example, the Dutch system utilizes a direct, pragmatic approach when dealing with sex education, incorporating biological information, values, attitudes, and communication skills from a young age. This direct approach has resulted in relatively low rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases in the country.
I feel that our methods are not targeted enough. Matters regarding sex should be regarded as fairly unconscious truths, instead of debate motions which have plenty of gray areas. No one needs to tell a student to look left and right before crossing a road, or to peel a banana before eating it. Why can't they do that to sex?
491 words
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Other Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_incidence_of_teenage_pregnancy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS
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