Some 50 years ago, Sweden was a largely rural society. Using condoms was regarded as highly immoral. It was also illegal to promote condoms. The experts had to work hard to change this mindset. Many travelled around, delivering lectures and anchoring training programmes. Today, public attitudes are far more progressive in Sweden today and sex education is taken extremely seriously. So seriously, in fact, that it is constantly under public scrutiny and review. The Swedish sex education programme is based on a handbook on sexuality and personal relationships, called The Main Thread. A recent survey on The Main Thread indicated that 87 per cent of respondents believed that the handbook has contributed a great deal towards raising awareness among young people. In India, the situation is not that different. Indian youth are already so exposed to western fashion, music and of course the internet, so why can’t they handle sex education? Why do politicians intervene and believe such programmes would corrupt young minds. The high-risk groups — Men Having Sex with Men and Intravenous Drug Users — are similar in India and Stockholm. The resource material that experts, including teachers, doctors and others, have put together can address the dearth of useful sex education literature in this country. The collaborative partnership between the MAMTA Health Institute for Mother and Child in India and RFSU-Institute for Sexuality Education in Stockholm is one such effort. India needs many more of such collaborations.

It has been seen that sex education has resulted in better health outcomes. The WHO technical report 2006 cited evidence of HIV/AIDS and sex education interventions having repeatedly reduced risky behaviour of young people in developing countries. Of course education, by itself, is not adequate. It must be backed by youth-friendly, gender-equitable health services.

But it seems that before we educate our youth, we need to educate our policymakers first on the importance of sex education.