The recent suspension of Malay Mail for publishing what was perceived as explicit sexual details is appalling. Why can’t Malaysians talk about sex? In an era of an epidemic of HIV/AIDS, I think that it has become increasing pertinent to allow talks on sexuality and understanding its many complexities.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil later told a press conference that the newspaper had been “irresponsible and downright vulgar”.
“I am so embarrassed for them,” she said, adding that she would bring up the issue at the next Cabinet meeting.
Shahrizat also said the media should be more responsible in reporting about “things that are best left at home or in the bedroom” and which were “too private and intimate.”
When Ministers become embarassed to talk about sex or to allow a free flow talk on sex, I can only fear that our battle against HIV/AIDS will only hit a snag, when this disease is so intertwined with sexual behaviours.
Malaysia is on the verge of a HIV/AIDS explosion and unless we are more comfortable with talking about sex, I fear that the African nightmare will only become a reality for us all. Leaving it at home or in the bedroom will only create greater naivety among our youths about sex, exposing them to a great risk for contracting sexual diseases early on in their lives.
When HIV/AIDS is claiming the lives of our young generation, we cannot wait for sex education to happen at home or bedrooms. We need to aggressively bring the messages across not only from a health standpoint but on the many facets of sexual behaviours and patterns.
Refusing to talk about sex is not an Eastern value. We are also probably the most sexually active people considering the large population that we generate! So let’s talk more about sex and remove all the taboos that have been put in place. This is probably the first and most important step in our losing battle against HIV/AIDS.
