VIRGINITY REVISITED!!!!!!!
Shoba De’s article Purity rings and Palin’s problem has raised three issues.Was virginity dead?The perils of experimental teenage sex and the need of sex education.
Its heartening to see the welcome comeback of chastity in the western world,and I strongly believe that virginity never died in India and I would rather say that there hasn’t been any significant change in the virginity status of the youngsters in the recent years.
Virginity,though always considered to be a middle class issue,has had and has its followers,in significant numbers
Being modern does not mean disregarding virginity!
The youth today is liberated,independent,experimental and adventurous,but the values have not vanished.
In fact the education has given them more discretion and a since of responsibility,not to the society,or the family but to themselves and the partners,and not to forget the health awareness and the scare of AIDS.
Even the young,smart,rich and independent youth,with all opportunities,don’t seem to be in a hurry to loose their virginity,they wait for their life partners,and when they do decide on one,then they don’t mind waiting till the wedding rings!!
The issue of Palins 17 year old unmarried daughter getting pregnant,is another example of the problems of the increasing experimental teenage sex.My heart bleeds for Palin ,as it would for any mother who has a 17 year old pregnant daughter to handle,and doubly more for Sarah,who is not only pregnant at seventeen,out of experimental teenage sex,but is being asked to have the child,and marry the irresponsible boy,who made her pregnant.And all this since she happens to be a politicians daughter.But even my sincere sympathies for Palin,cannot stop me,from condemning her decision that she is imposing on her daughter.She has proved to be an irresponsible mother,who couldn’t guide her daughter well,and now is actually using her as a scapegoat,for her political interests,to force her to be a mother at seventeen,and spend her life with an immature,irresponsible teenager as a husband
Both these issues re enforce the need of sex education.Had Palin,as a mother spent some time with her daughter,she may have been motivated to retain her virginity,and not to indulge in experimental teenage sex,and if she did have to do it,she would have taken necessary precautions,not to get pregnant.
Hope this too big a price being paid by Sarah,for a momentary pleasure serves to be a great deterrent for other teenagers,and an eye opener for parents to be more careful and vigilant
Dr Sanjay Kapoor Lucknow