Comprehensive Sex Education in India: Honour, Cultural Pluralism, and the Negotiation of Sexual Health
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Abstract
Sexuality in India is deeply embedded within moral, familial, and cultural structures that regulate discourse and behavior. The World Health Organization conceptualizes sexual health as a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality rather than merely the absence of disease.1 Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE), grounded in this holistic understanding, extends beyond biological instruction to include consent, relational ethics, gender equity, and rights-based decision-making. Yet in India, sexuality education remains contentious, often perceived as disruptive to cultural values shaped by honor, modesty, and gendered morality.
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References
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