“There’s a need to educate school and college students about sexual health. In schools we teach Thiruvalluvar’s Arathupal and Porutpal but we never touch Kamathupal.
Some of the kurals (couplets) from the Kamathupal can be included in the lessons so that students can understand sexual problems and correct themselves,” said Dr P. Thangaraj, pro vice-chancellor, SRM University.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the Sixth International Conference on Sexology held at Hotel Green Park, Vadapalani on Saturday, he added, “Doctors counselling on sex are few and negligible. Also people often do not come forward to reveal their problems to doctors.
According to WHO, there are 60-80 million infertile couples worldwide and 10-15 per cent in India are infertile.”
Dr Mohanambal, director, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Egmore, said, “When I visited a school in a village, I told the teacher that I would give a lecture on sexual health. The teacher was shocked and refused.
But I insisted that the teacher ask students to write their queries on a paper. The next day the teacher said that I could take a lecture.”
Delivering the keynote address, organising chairman of the conference, Dr T. Kamaraj said, “Sex affects our total sense of happiness and it also extends one’s life expectancy.
There is a general reluctance to provide any form of sex education for children, adolescents and even grownups. India is often regarded as the land of the Kamasutra, where people are expected to possess a great deal of awareness of sex and sexuality.
However, studies have shown that large sections of the population are either unaware of or have wrong notions of sex and sexuality,” he added.
Dr Adaikan Ganesan, ex-president, International Society for Sexual Medicine, Prof. Karunanidhi, HOD, department of Psychology, University of Madras and Dr K.S. Jeyarani, director, Aakash Fertility Centre and Hospital, also spoke on the occasion. More than 1,000 doctors are taking part in the conference that will have presentations on various topics on the concluding day, Sunday.
source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Chennai / DC / Chennai / February 12th, 2012