Homosexuality in India: sex education for all is the answer

Editor—A change of attitude is needed to prevent discrimination against gay people and people with HIV. Balaji Ravichandran says that medical teaching can be the solution.¹ That alone will never be enough because doctors come from our own society. Many, if not most, share the same illogical prejudices. So preaching to doctors is not enough.

An important tool we have to educate doctors is to include sex education in schools. I agree that Indian medical students and doctors do not feel comfortable discussing sex.² Homosexual people are one of the worst treated groups of people and are met with contempt, humiliated, and seen with disgust.

Merely putting more burden on students does not solve this problem. Simply educating doctors who feel insecure talking about sex is not likely to bring any improvement. Children in schools can be given sex education and adults, including medical students and doctors, offered reinforcement. The emphasis should be on general sex education.

Vikas Dhikav, medical student, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
Email: vikasdhikav@hotmail.com

Radhika Jadavji, medical student,London

studentBMJ 2005;13:309-352 September ISSN 0966-6494

1. Balaji R. Straight outta India. studentBMJ 2005;13:259. (June.)
2. Dhikav V. More on treating homosexuality as a sickness: homosexuality is punishable in India. BMJ 2004;328:1261.
3. Dhikav V. Sexual deviations—the paraphilias—hidden aspects of sex in India. In: Male homosexuality. New Delhi: AITBS, 2003: 5-11.