SC bats for promoting comprehensive understanding of sex education's benefits

"Critics often argue that providing information about sexual health and contraception will lead to increased sexual activity among teenagers. However, research has shown that comprehensive sex education actually delays the onset of sexual activity and promotes safer practices among those who are sexually active," the bench noted. The bench said research indicates that comprehensive sex education can significantly reduce risky sexual behaviours, increase knowledge, enable healthy decision-making, reduce misinformation, delay sexual debut, decrease the number of sexual partners and increase contraceptive use. The top court said comprehensive sex education programmes teach youth about the importance of consent and the legal implications of sexual activities, helping them understand the severe consequences of viewing and distributing child pornography. Referring to some provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the bench said, "Since, one of the salutary and avowed objects of the POCSO was the deterrence of offences of child sexual abuse and exploitation, thus, as a natural corollary, the obligation the appropriate government and the commission under the aforesaid provisions will also entail imparting of sex education and awareness amongst the general public, children as well as their parents and guardians, particularly in schools and places of education".