BBC News featured an article today about the government of Extremadura, one of the poorest regions in Spain, and its recently launched campaign based on the slogan "pleasure is in your own hands." The campaign is a comprehensive masturbation program for 14-17 year old residents including literature and workshops. Spain's Roman Catholics and conservatives are obviously "outraged." Laura Garrido, president of Extremadura's youth council defended the program telling BBC, "The lessons are based on the concepts of self esteem, confidence and male and female anatomy and physiology."So what do you think- should teaching kids how to masturbate be a part of sex ed?
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1 comment:
While it's unlikely that most people need to be taught how to masturbate, a responsible sex education program should certainly discuss the importance of thinking twice about what ideas or images are used as stimuli in masturbation.
Dependence on pornography in any medium tends to dehumanize real world relationships and can, in the case of increasingly violent and misogynist scenarios, foster damaging expectations and demands made by a dominant sex partner. A "fantasy" acted out is no longer a fantasy but a reality.
That said, the campaign to validate masturbation as a positive alternative to casual sexual intercourse with its many physical and emotional hazards, sounds sensible.
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