Love, sex and education

 Mention Pyaar plus, and you would think it’s the next Bollywood release in the romcom genre. But this isn’t a forthcoming cliché movie. Launched on January 17, it’s a website that attempts to address queries on love, relationships, sex and more.

This virtual relationship guide is a project of Point of View, a non-profit organisation  founded by Bishakha Datta.   The organisation  works to promote women’s views through creative use of media, arts and culture.

Project coordinator, Point of View, Richa Kaul Padte, 23, says of the initiative, “We keep talking about domestic violence and violence against women. This time we thought let’s focus on the youth. Why not talk to young men and women and start at the grassroot level.” 

Padte further explains, “We started thinking what was on the other side of this coin — relationships that are healthy. And we figured that the best way to get people to better understand what ‘a healthy relationship’ means is by facilitating some honest and frank discussions.”

Primary research showed that most youngsters rely on pornographic content, be it porn movies or erotica, to gain knowledge about their sexual relationship. Given this background, Pyaar plus was created with a special focus on keeping it as interactive as possible.

Other organisations like  the Delhi-based TARSHI (Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues) and Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) have also been working towards expanding sexual and reproductive choices in people’s lives. Their offline programmes enable people to enjoy lives of dignity, freedom from fear, infection and reproductive and  sexual health problems ensure that their websites also get many hits.

Pyaar plus has already started work with some city colleges. It recently held Street Smart, a creative poster campaign at St. Andrews College  and St. Xaviers College’s BMM festival. The underlying idea of the campaign was to encourage young women to speak out (or scream or hit) when harassed.
For Maria Dennis it was her personal experience that led her to volunteer for Pyaar Plus. “I commute daily by train. And there are times when I get awkward stares or even lewd comments. Initially I ignored them but now I don’t keep quiet.”

Surprisingly enough, the volunteers noticed a  good response from boys on the campus too. They came up with some of the catchiest and interesting one liners. Jennifer Mathaias from St. Andrews says, “After the campaign, the attitude in the college has changed. Boys are coming forward to participate and volunteer, and girls are not shying away from rude comments.”

But the minds behind Pyaar plus are clear about one thing. They’re not in the virtual space to only enlighten the youth about sex; there’s a larger aim in place. “Pyaar plus is a positive way to build a positive relationship between the two genders,” says Padte.

It’s a private affair
This is a brilliant idea. Today not many are comfortable talking about this issue with their parents,  friends or even the counsellors. And since it’s private nobody will judge you. It’s a platform where you can exchange information.  But  someone should monitor the content that goes on the website. 
Neha Mukherjee, student

How different can this website be
As far as I know this is not the first time such an initiative has been taken. It also depends upon the kind of information the website provides. It should not be one of those website that just dies away.
Saumya Bhatnagar, Product manager

Young men should be the target audience
The authority should be careful will the kind of information it will disseminate. The target audience for this initiative should be young men. But how far will this initiative work is debatable because even during my time there was eve teasing. I too enrolled myself in workshops. It will only work if the law implementing agencies are active and takes a strong stand against such incidents or behaviour.
Manju Nichani, Principal, KC College

Parents are still hesitant to talk
This initiative is very healthy and good, it is a platform that generates self awareness. Indian parents still hesitate to talk to their children regarding such issues. As a result they gather their information from wrong sources like pornography. And many teenagers are not comfortable talking to their peers also. I had a case where a young boy used to ask me question and talk to me regarding sex and when I asked him why he doesn’t talks to his friends about it. He said that they will mock him. So if there is no one to talk to, the next best option is the virtual world. And a website like this will promote emotional intelligence and teach young boys to treat their partner with respect.
Seema Hingorrany, Psychologist

This initiative needs encouragement
This website is a good initiative, it’s a medium where the youth can get their queries answered and find information. And if colleges are encouraging this kind of an initiative, then this means we are coming of age. It’s good to see that principal and teachers are responding to this project. I have noticed that teens end up using terminology without knowing what it actually mean. And when I enquire whether they know the meaning of that particular word, they simply say that they overheard someone else using it. Gone are the days when people visited the college counsellors.  The website should also include a section wherein icons and role models talk about their personal lives and their take on the whole issue.
Kavita Anand, Educationalist