'Those opposing sex education are hypocrites'

NEW DELHI: Favouring sex education in the country, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury on Monday said all those opposing it are "hypocrites".

"It is moral hypocrisy and just posturing on the part of those who are opposing it," Chowdhury said while launching National Women Forum, a wing of NGO Indian Network of People Living with HIV.

She said public figures and leaders should speak the language of the people so that they could clearly understand health issues, particularly HIV/AIDS.

"We have a one billion population and we don't want to talk about sex. We have to be vocal on such issues. If we don't then it will effect the generations to come," she said.

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) Director General Sujatha Rao said they are ready for a review of their module, but don't want to compromise on the message.

"There is no harm about taking a second opinion on our module. But we want the message to be loud and clear for the senior secondary students to understand. There should be no shadow boxing about HIV/AIDS," she said.

Rao said they are going to set-up a task force, in which academics, Human Resource Development Ministry officials, VIMHANS and NIMHANS experts and women activists will review the module designed by NACO and UNAIDS.

"They will come out with their findings in another three months," she said adding the objections are about some "explicit" material which was not for school students but for teachers.
   
"It is disturbing that states are banning sex education. But we want to have a consensus on the subject. It could be culture specific," Rao said.