Time for sex education to face reality

By Jung Hae-myoung

D.Ark, the youngest contestant on the rap music show “Show Me The Money 7,” has recently been mired in a sex scandal, in which his ex-girlfriend said the 15-year-old tried to have sex with her without her consent.

“I refused because there was no protection, but you (D.Ark) begged me to have sex persistently,” the ex-girlfriend wrote on her Instagram.

Although the girl later said the coercion came from a misunderstanding between them, the shock lingered among the public even after that, considering the young age of the rapper.

However, this is not an isolated case considering the average age of Korean teenagers' first sexual intercourse is 13.1, according to the 2016 report from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means teenagers have their first sexual experience during their elementary school or middle school years.

Although the age of their first sexual intercourse is getting lower every year, sex education at school remains stagnant and outdated.

Sex education in Korean schools is a “single-session” lecture, usually replaced by educational video clips without any specific explanation about actual intercourse and protection methods.

“I remember having a short session of sex education during the technology and housekeeping class when I was in middle school. Looking back, the teachers just taught us 'biology.' There was no practical information about sexual intercourse and how to have healthy relationships,” Lee Ka-won, 25, told the Korea Times.

In a report by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) in 2017, 43.3 percent of 671 middle school students said sex education at school is not helpful.

Criticism also rises as the schools teach unrealistic measures regarding sexual assault.

In the “standard” teaching material for sex education published by the Ministry of Education in 2015, it instructs students to “not get into a situation in which males and females are together alone,” to avoid sexual assault.

Following years of criticism, the ministry decided to revise it by 2019.

Experts say insufficient knowledge about sex can lead to unsafe sexual experiences.

Some high school students take unhygienic options, such as plastic wrap and bags to replace condoms, because they feel embarrassed to buy them in public.

According to the report by the SMOE, only 51 percent of teenagers used proper contraception.

“They hesitate to buy condoms because they don't want to get curious looks from others,” a youth counselor said.

According to the Juvenile Protection Act, minors can buy condoms, because they are not registered as adult products.

But the dominating atmosphere in Korea about sex, or anything related to it, remains secretive, taboo and it is deemed promiscuous.

Condoms are rarely advertised in television commercials, although it is the most effective measure for contraception. However, advertisements on birth control pills are on television frequently, which creates the idea that women should be responsible for the consequences.

In the United States and Europe, many use implanon, a thin rod implanted under the skin on the upper arm that stops women from getting pregnant, but they are frowned upon by the Korean public.

“The prevailing atmosphere in Korea is that people who have birth control implants are prostitutes,” a college student in Seoul, 24, said.

Some parents, teachers or influencers voluntarily seek alternatives for the failing sex education at schools.

Some hire a private tutor to teach a group of four to six children about ethics and practical education on sex, with the price ranging from 250,000 won ($ 218) to 300,000 won.

“Private lessons are more realistic and straightforward compared to what we learn at school,” a sixth-grader in primary school said.

“It may seem like an overreaction, but after watching the #MeToo movement, I felt our children need to have the right knowledge about sex to prevent a bigger problem,” his parent said.

Daisy, a beauty creator on YouTube, recently reached two million views after uploading “condom reviews” on Sept. 29. She explains different types of condoms, their function and the way to use them.

“Some condoms can cause allergic reactions for some people. It is important that partners discuss openly or buy it together,” she explains in the video.

The video received positive responses, with people saying Korean schools should play this video instead of outdated sex education clips. Others showed appreciation for her speaking openly about practical information that no one has taught them before.

Still, some parents worry that discussion on the subject might encourage more teenagers to have sex. However, experts say it is better to prevent and protect their bodies than suffer unwanted consequences.

“Teenagers' love should not be seen as a problem, but should be openly discussed in order to deliver the message that they are in charge of their body and should be responsible for their behavior,” said Park Hyeon-yee, the head of department at Aha Sexuality Education & Counseling Center for Youth.

In Germany, sex education has been a mandatory course for students since 1992. The experts teach proper contraceptive measures and different positions of having sex.

“Teenage sex happens, or will happen in their near future. Rejecting that fact may lead to worse options or consequences if education is not considered seriously,” she said.