Who's out there talking about sex and how they're doing it?

Over the summer this year, I volunteered at a non-profit in Delhi that provides education and after care services to underprivileged children in the National Capital Region of India. 

"So, we want our teachers to talk about sex to children 12 and above", the Director of NOIDA center told me. "We've never done it before but I think it's time we incorporated it in the curriculum", she continued. 

All excited about my new endeavor, I met the two teachers designated to facilitate sex ed at the school. "We've never done this before", they both reiterated. "And frankly, I'm a little uncomfortable with this new assignment", added one of them. After talking to both of them for another 15-20 minutes, I got a sense that both of them were uncomfortable discussing sexuality issues. At the same time, they were convinced that discussions on gender, reproduction and sexuality are much needed, especially in the community that the school catered to. 

I had a BIG challenge ahead of me. The first time I said "Vagina" loudly in front of them, I knew this was going to be an interesting 2-hour session. Thankfully though, by the end of our first session, I think they were able to articulate sexuality related words without twitching their eyes or squeaking their voices. By the end of eight such sessions, I think they were pretty comfortable initiating sexuality conversations with their students.

The entire experience was personally and professionally enriching for me. It got me thinking about folks out there who understand the need for sexuality conversations, want to be part of these conversations and work towards developing sexually educated and informed youth. At the same time, I wonder how many people out there are equipped mentally, physically, financially and emotionally to steer sexuality conversations? What personal, emotional, religious or political baggage are they carrying? How can I continue to support and encourage such efforts? What challenges am I likely to face? What model(s) should I adopt? Should I specialize in one area say, reproductive health or HIV prevention? Or just start calling myself sex guru? I'm still trying to find answers to these questions. It's not gonna happen over night. It's tough. It's gonna involve fighting and winning many battles but I'm gonna make it happen!