An overview of sex education: comparison between Islam and western perspectives

Abstract

In recent years, it has been noted that there has been an alarming increase in sexual-related social problems among teenagers which more often than not has lead to increased crime rates. Many believe that sex education should be incorporated in schools while some think that it should be done within the private walls of our home. The concept of sex education is not an alien concept in Islam since the Holy Quran addresses the issues of sexuality and sexual needs as being a fundamental part of our human identity. There are about 263 verses in the Quran that discuss the elements of sexuality and the concepts of sex education which shows a strong indication of the importance of them in the construction of a healthy society. In contrast, the concept of sex education has only emerged around the early 20th century in the western culture. This paper aims to explore the differences between Islamic and western point of view on sex education. The Quran, the Hadith, and several documents and literature have been analysed for the purpose of this study. While the western culture views sexuality and sexual needs as an individual rights, the Islamic teachings view them as fundamentally bound to responsibility and accountability to a far greater social circle, the construction of a strong ummah.