sexandsensibilities.com

This article by Ana Santos  also appeared in Female Network.com

In our culture, where even talking about sex is a no-no, teens often have only two options on how to get information about this topic: the internet and each other.

The latter can be like the blind leading the blind, and the former can lead to porn sites, which sets up unrealistic expectations when it comes to sex. Either way, young people are pretty much left to their own devices when it comes to educating themselves about sex–a practice that can have serious consequences.

• A survey that was conducted in 2005 by Remedios AIDS Foundation shows that 3 out of 10 youths think that jumping after sex prevents pregnancy and 2 in 3 youths think that drinking antibiotics before sex is a way to prevent sexually transmitted infections. (It is not, by the way. Antibiotics may treat certain types of STIs, but not prevent them.)
• The 2008 National Demographic Health Survey shows that 2 percent of young women had sexual intercourse by age 15, while 17 percent of young women had sexual intercourse by age 18.
• The World Bank reported that the Philippines is among the top 10 countries where teen pregnancies are on the rise. Seven out of every 10 pregnant women are teenagers, often younger than 19 years old. Every year, approximately 64,000 teenagers in the Philippines have abortions.

“It’s a normal process for teens [to want to know more about sex],” explains Dr. Dr Wei Siang Yu, a medical doctor from Monash University. “Their hormones are raging and they need to be informed about how to deal with these urges and understand the changes their bodies are going through.”

Dr. Wei, has been a force in pioneering out of the box sex education initiatives and modules for the youth, earning him the title “Dr. Love.” In 2002, along with the Dutch Health Promotion Board, Dr. Wei launched the first wireless sex education initiative in Europe.

In the Philippines, Dr. Wei recently launched Sexxie.tv, or Sex Xpert Interactive Education, an interactive website for teens to get answers to their questions about sex, contraception and sexuality.

“We need to harness the internet,” said Dr. Wei. “It is discreet, it is immediate–the very things that are important to teens when it comes to getting sexual health information.”

Check out Sexxie.tv’s interactive components where real time information can be exchanged.

1 .MEDICAL BUTLER

The Medical Butler may not get you a glass of water at your request, but this sexual health concierge will be ready to answer questions, dispense medical fact sheets, or to chat – real time.

This Medical Butler is actually comprised of 20 medical doctors, counselors, educators, parents and other industry experts who are all part of the sexxie.tv team.

2. WEBINARS

Medical doctors, counselors, and other health experts will conduct webinars on topics like relationships, stages of sexual growth and development, and sexually transmitted infections.

3. VIRTUAL STI CLINIC

Strange body symptoms showing up, but too scared to get tested for an STI? Sexxie.tv provides the answer to that dilemma. With its soon-to-be-set-up virtual STI clinic, a teen can take a picture of the affected area and send it to Sexxie.tv via MMS for a consultation.

“The sexxie.tv doctor will provide a provisional diagnosis only,” Dr. Wei emphasized. The viewer will still need to see an actual physician if a more extensive exam is recommended and if medication will need to be prescribed.

4. MOBILE PHONE

Teens can also connect to Sexxie.tv while on the go through the BBDrLove service, which will allow them to chat with Sexxie.tv’s panel of doctors through their Blackberry Messenger service.

        

Re-posted from GMA News Website

Olongapo City - Maybe it was the long-time presence of an American community here, or the fact that for decades it hosted one of the largest sex industries in the country. Or the people running the city figured out it was just common sense.

Whatever the reasons, and it’s probably a combination of all of the above, when it comes to sex education, Olongapo is ahead of its time.

In all public schools here, lessons about puberty and sexually transmitted infections are just part of the required reading for students and teachers. That’s because Olongapo City is one of a handful of divisions of the Department of Education in the country where adolescent reproductive health or ARH, more popularly known as “sex education,” has been integrated into the public school curriculum since 2008. The city is also the only school division that has decided to implement sex ed in all its public schools.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has said that DepEd’s plan to implement sex education in public schools will cause “developmental harm” to children. Meanwhile, the new education secretary, Bro. Armin Luistro, has yet to disclose his stance on the issue.

But Olongapo education officials are of their own mind on the matter.

“We will continue with the implementation of the program, for as long as our city government will support it,” said Ligaya Monato, superintendent of Olongapo City schools.

GMANews.TV sat in on a high school biology class to see just how the deed is done– the teaching, that is. - GMANews.TV

        

 Is tertiary education compensating for the lack of a formal, government-mandated sex education in the country? Apparently not. Sex and Sensibilities Youth Correspondent Nicai de Guzman tells us why. Continue Reading →