Sex education by mail order

Press, 9 August 1980, Page 14

Sex education by mail order

By

NANCY McMILLAN,

who recently wrote two

articles for “The Press” on books available for teaching children about sex.

“Teach Your Child About Sex,” by M. R. Buchanan, is more notable for the manner in'which it has been brought to the notice of the public than for its content.

Advertised prominently in the daily newspapers under the enticing heading, “Sex Taught Easily,” it immediately attracted attention. Health educators wondered why the book was “not available through booksellers”; social welfare organisations . were curious about the unknown Child Mental. Health Care from which, according to the advertisement, the book could be purchased for $3; and many people wondered whether today’s parents were prepared to buy a pig in a poke for the reassurance of anonymity and plain wrappers. (To'be sure, there was :a money-back guarantee for those not fully satisfied and $3 is not a

large sum anyway to put at risk.)

Within days radio and television programmes had introduced the author to the listening and viewing , public and a fortnight later a newspaper story described his sales progress. • Already, it seemed, a thousand copies had been sold, suggesting perhaps that even today, with virtually super market availability of sex manuals, some people find it easier to use a mail order system than to approach a shop assistant or librarian with a book from the shelves. Or perhaps the very availability of so many books is itself confusing and parents gratefully relinquished the task of choosing to the responsible sounding Child Mental Health Care. Child Mental Health Care, however,- is not a recognised charitable or incorporated society,, but rather a title invented by Mr Buchanan for the purposes

of his advertisement. He wrote as -a “responsible parent,” not on behalf of any organisation. : The book itself .is likely to be of greater interest to adults than to the 9-14-year-olds for whom it was also intended. It is a small, 36page booklet, with photographs on the cover of parents talking,to their children. Inside, the presentation is straight-forward, colourless, and low-key, points which may be in its favour with some groups. Booksellers have described the way in which some parents reject the more cheerful and exciting books for children ' simply because of their exuberance and humour. But the information here is not presented in the ways most likely to appeal to children and many will find the anatomical descriptions too technical. How many will want or need to know, for example, that “the lower end of the vagina is surrounded by a band of striated muscular fibres, termed medically as the bulbospagiosus,” or .that “ex-

ternal to the musuclar coat there is a layer of aerolar tissue, containing a large number of blood vessels.” The black and white drawings and photographs are reminiscent of older medical texts and suffer by comparison with the wide variety of beautiful children's books on human development and relationships now available in bookshops and libraries. The author does not confine himself to descriptions of physical development. Orgasm, masturbation, contraception, V.D., unwanted pregnancies, and responsibility for one’s sexual behaviour are all discussed, in common-sense rather than moralistic terms. . . “if

you’re male, remember that if you have had sex with several girls that you cannot expect the girl which you marry one day to be a virgin either.” But the importance of the emotional aspects of sexual relationships is neglected. He writes, “If you’re a single girl and want to play around, then the only precaution you need is

contraception and keeping yourself clean.” Cleanliness does not prevent V.D., if that was what the author was referring to. And many parents will feel that there are other hurts to be avoided in a sexual relationship besides an unwanted pregnancy. This book does not help parents explain what these might be. Nor does the book help with lists of agencies which might be able to offer further information and advice.

Nevertheless, much useful information is given and if a thousand or so parents now feel sufficiently acquainted with the facts to begin talking about sex with their children because of this book then its publication will not have been in vain. Perhaps, more important, those same readers may feel able to identify with the author as “a responsible parent who will not deny my children the right to learn about themselves the correct way” and will bring up a generation of children who have no need for plainwrappered sex information.