Sex Education in Olives

•  About a month ago I had the pleasure of  teaching sex education to Standard 5, quite a daunting prospect given their propensity to ask awkward questions. The kids are between 11 and 15, but when we were discussing passing HIV through sexual intercourse one of the kids said "Please Madam, what is sex?" I thought for a minute he was messing with me, but he was deadly serious. I went home and looked at the science books section on sex. I found this gem: "Sexual intercourse outside of marraige causes AIDS.Avoid this temptation by joining a sports team, finding good friends, and staying away from discos." Thats it. Thats their sex ed.
  After much ranting and raving about the futility of trying to prevent AIDS in a country which refuses to admit the existence of sex, I sucked it up and planned my own sex ed class. I got through the first 15 minutes ok, but the room erupted into giggles at my attempt to draw an accurate (and perhaps overly detailed) penis. My co-teacher Ceri later informed me that some of the boys had gasped and questioned whether it was drawn to actual size! I got through conception, birth etc with relatively few upsets (Despite one boy paling at the mention of menstruation and later asking me"Does the mens bleeding too?!" Then I asked them to put any questions they were too shy to ask into a tin and said we would have a girls class and boys class to discuss them in.
  I cant begin to describe the weirdness of sitting 15 boys on the roots of a giant mango tree and asking them what they want to know about sex. My tendency to talk with my hands was a definite drawback: at one point I was explaining why a penis must be erect to enter the vagina and found myself poking a finger in and out of my fist. I explained (with a straight face and suspiciously brisk voice) why men cannot "get the pregnant from sexing in the anoose" why you wont impregnate your sister if she gets her period while sleeping next to you, and that it is not harmful for a man to not have sex every time he feels the urge.
  My straight face lasted until I was explaining to one particularly determined young man that "sexing a goat" is not a good solution to sexual frustration, even if it IS your goat. I rhapsodised at length about the differences between men and goats,and to finish, I gestured to a nearby goat to illustrate my point. The goat blinked at me calmly, then proceeded to enthusiastically fellate himself. I challenge anyone not to burst into fits of snorting wheezing laughter at that point.
  
  It was good though, especially talking to the girls. I had a few worrying questions about getting pregnant if you're 12, and we had a chance to talk about pressure from men and deciding for ourselves what happens to our bodies. A couple of girls thanked me profusely and came to me with more and more questions throughout the week. It was really encouraging, especially since I found out that some of the older, prettier girls in my class get paid to "go to discos." Im trying to accept that Im helpless to do anything about that, but at the very least I can make sure they have all the information. I do have to deal with the fact that they are now sex-fixated, the entire class has taken to drawing remarkably detailed diagrams of genitalia and asking how random animals "make the sex." I believe I have successfully perfected my straight face. :)