By CHEW WAN YING
Here are some jaw-dropping statistics on women’s knowledge about sex and their bodies.
A majority - 82%, to be precise - of women do not know how many openings a woman has down there.
Nearly half (45%) believe that their breasts will grow bigger by touching and that urine and menses flow through the same opening.
More than half fail to tell the exact position of their hymen, while some have the idea that only men have hymens, which is why they are named such.
On top of that, there are girls who believe that drinking pineapple juice or jumping up and down after having sex will help prevent unwanted pregnancy.
And believe it or not, some women think that the way to tell whether a woman is a virgin is by looking at the size of her vagina.
Before you scoff at such ignorance, these are the shocking discoveries derived from a survey conducted on 1,800 teenage girls and women in six countries around the region.
The Kotex BodyLife IQ Study, commissioned by sanitary brand Kotex, consists of focus groups and an online survey carried out in Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Malaysia.
The respondents were aged between 16 and 24.
Only 3% of the Malaysian respondents know the right answers to the questions posed, which covered subjects like female reproductive organs, pregnancy and virginity.
TV personality Azah Yazmin was shocked by the ignorance or lack of knowledge displayed by the girls.
“Oh gosh, when I was in school educating the girls about sex, I was asked 1,001 questions. I had girls asking me whether jumping up and down after having sex can help prevent pregnancy.
“Then we have a question: why do people have sex? A 14-year-old girl answered, “Sebab saya dah ketagih (Because I am addicted to it),” she said at the BodyLife IQ Forum 2010 Thursday.
Azah was among the panellists, which included social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Mila (of Akademi Fantasia 5 fame) and psychologist Dr Hera Lukman.
(From left) Kimberly-Clark Malaysia marketing manager Haniza Tahir, Dr Hera, Kimberly-Clark (Malaysia/Singapore) managing director Nathanath Kandapper, Mila, Marina and Azah at the event today
Mila, the youngest in the group, related her personal experience of taking myths as facts. When she was a teenager, she even resorted to drinking carbonated drinks as a means to shorten her period.
“Now when I think about it, I’m like ‘Oh my God. What was I thinking?’ I was following my friends’ advice then.”
Even her grandmother fell prey to such myths, advising her not to cycle, ride a horse or climb a mountain, fearing that she might lose her virginity doing this.
Such ignorance stems from society’s attitude towards sex. A majority of them tend to view this as a taboo subject that one shall know once “you are married”.
A then-12-year-old Mila burst into tears when she had her first period.
“I was so shocked because I didn’t know what it was. My teacher even had to teach me how to use a sanitary pad,” she recalled with a laugh, adding that she was too shy to ask questions regarding her body, fearing how others would view her.
She was not alone. There are schoolgirls who throw away the pad samples Kotex gives them, simply because they are embarrassed to be associated with such matters in the presence of male students, said Kimberly-Clark Malaysia marketing manager Haniza Tahir.
It’s not just the students who squirm uncomfortably at sex talks. Azah revealed that while some teachers and ustazah (religious teachers) welcome sex education with open arms, there are those who raise their eyebrows at the mention of a sex organ.
“I was in a school where a teacher stopped me from talking after hearing the students giggling and muttering words which are generally associated with reproductive organs.”
Meanwhile, compared to these students, Marina is luckier and has her mother to thank for when it comes to sex education at an early age.
When she was a kid, a question about how cows give birth had led to an explanation on sex by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.
“I wouldn’t say that this is easy for parents. It is awkward,” she said.
As awkward as it is, it is only essential, agreed Marina and Azah, as not touching on the subject might lead to grave consequences in the long run.
Azah shared a true account of how a 26-year-old woman who did not know that having sex with her father was wrong.
“She’s been doing it since she was 16 because her father told her that’s his way of loving her,” she said.
Marina echoed: “Yes, many girls only find out that incest is wrong after they read the newspaper reports.”
Worse still, the lack of sex knowledge might indirectly lead to one being infected with HIV through unprotected sex, added Marina.
Sex education is the way to go, said the panel, insisting that it is the key in solving social issues.
Marina cited the example of the Netherlands, which has a set of comprehensive sex education for its teenagers and in return, has the lowest teenage pregnancy rate.
What about our country you ask?
Marina applauded the government’s effort in trying to introduce sex education in schools, but thinks that in order for it to work, cooperation from all quarters is required.
“The government has been talking to various non-governmental organisations. However, you need commitment from everyone involved, because sex education is made up of various components, such as biology, Pendidikan Jasmani (Physical Education), Kemahiran Hidup (Living Skills), religion and moral subjects,” she concluded.
Published Feb 25, 2010
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