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Growing up as an Asian, talking about sex with friends or family has always been a difficult thing to do as we are strictly prohibited from bringing up this topic since we were young. As time passes, we become increasingly curious about it and we want to find out more but since the topic of sex is a taboo, we may not get the chance to learn more about it. Hence why there are youths who are still unsure and unclear of their own body and the changes they will be facing during puberty. It can be critical if one does not fully understand how their body works, as they might end up with different diseases or infections if they do not take good care of their body. So in order to prevent these situations from happening, youths need to do their best to educate themselves regarding sexual education if there is no help available. Though learning about it on your own sounds tough, it is not impossible.
Clarify your sexual values
The first thing when it comes to sexual education is to ensure that you have clear and correct sexual values. According to Emily Torres, it is not necessary to implement all beliefs that were instilled by schools, religions or families. Do your own research and be thorough. If you feel uncomfortable and need more time than others to digest this topic, then take your time! Note that learning about sexual education has nothing to do with your age. There is no age limit when you are educating yourself about this subject. You do not need to rush. Even if you are learning about it later than your fellow youths, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Sex is not just about pleasure and satisfaction, it is an expansive subject that includes topics such as diseases, consent and safety. Sooner or later, you will realize learning about sexual education is not that difficult at all. Learning about sexual education is important as it makes you aware of how your body reacts to certain things at a certain age.
Approach a professional
Reaching out to a professional like a doctor or physician is the best way to go about this. They are well-trained and trustworthy experts. However, it is natural to feel uncomfortable discussing your thoughts and experiences when learning sexual education with an unfamiliar person. According to Chris Illiades, getting over the fear of embarrassment is the first step when you are talking to a doctor. Your doctor has met many patients, some of whom may even be going through the same problems you are facing! Therefore, there is nothing to be ashamed of. If you feel uncomfortable talking to a stranger about sexual education, consider bringing a friend or family member to accompany you to make it more comfortable for you to open up. If your doctor is unable to answer your questions, you can approach other doctors or experts to get a second opinion.
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Talking to a close friend
Sharing your thoughts and experiences with someone can be difficult but by opening up, you will find out that you are able to learn from the experiences of others. By talking to a friend, you can trust that it is the easiest way to go about this as they already may be close to you and they may be considerate and understanding enough to lend a listening ear and help you out.
If you are speaking to a friend of the same sex, it can be easier to understand what changes and situations to expect in the future and you will know how to prepare for these changes and situations. On the other hand, by talking to a friend of the opposite sex, you can learn and understand the struggles that they face. From this, you will know how to respond and help when something happens to your friends of the opposite sex.
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Surfing the internet
The Internet can be a really helpful place to keep yourself informed about sexual education but only if you seek information from reliable sources. Websites with information that is unreliable and misleading can result in misunderstandings and be damaging to your health. This can be dangerous for not only you but the people around you.
So how do you know if you are getting your information from a reliable website? According to Maggi LeDuc, the easiest way to check is by looking at the website's URL. If the URL ends with “.gov,” “.org,” or “.edu", it usually indicates that the website you are looking at is a non-profit website. This means that the website is likely to be run by an educational institution, state agency or professional organization in which the information presented is normally unbiased and trustworthy.
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Though talking about sex remains a taboo in Asian culture, it should not hinder you from educating yourself about sex and understanding your body. It is also important that schools and parents bring this up and have healthy discussions surrounding the topic of sexual education.
By Soong Eason