He made some « son combat » for over thirty years. Professor Israel Nisand regularly comes to colleges to talk about sexuality to students. A recognized gynecologist, he hopes, in this interview with West France, the upcoming publication of a real education program for emotional and sexual life, detailed in West France this Friday, November 29, 2024. And criticizes the parent groups who are putting pressure so that these sessions – supposed to be compulsory three times a year – are not provided.
As the specialist notices in class when answering questions from middle school students: adolescents are increasingly confronted with pornographic content online. Sometimes violent images which distort their vision of sexual relations, particularly on the aspect of consent. According to Professor Nisand, younger students also need to be informed to protect themselves from the violence that adults can subject them to.
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Why is it important to educate students about sexuality?
School is the place to learn all knowledge. When it comes to emotional and sexual life, there is necessary knowledge. Many aspects of education are parents' responsibility – values, morals, possibly religion – but they need help with others. Particularly when talking about sexuality, at the time of puberty.
Activist associations are putting pressure so that the sessions are not held. According to them, this would not be the role of the school…
The debate has long been fueled by certain very practicing Catholic circles who claim that it is a private matter. Not addressing sexuality in the name of personal taboos is missing a step in the education of our children. When a child is not taught to respect himself, the parts of his body that others are not allowed to touch, the door is opened to sexual abuse. According to Ciivise figures, nearly 20% of children suffer this sexual abuse with permanent after-effects for the victims. It is therefore important that this information is removed from the family.
Also read. Sex education: pressure, “fake news”, lack of resources… Why is it so stuck?
What are the consequences of a lack of sexuality education?
When there is none, it is the women who pay the bill. It is not men who need to abort an unwelcome pregnancy. And if no one educates young people about sexuality, pornography takes care of it for us, with disastrous consequences.
That's to say ?
Videos from pornographic sites – still too easily accessible in France, despite the law on the age of users – normalize non-consent in the minds of minors. The majority of this content degrades the image of women. Before, you had to search for images on the internet. Now they are jumping in the faces of Internet users. Which can lead to real addictions.
You have been working in colleges for thirty years. How did the students’ questions evolve?
In the beginning, it was mainly about knowing how to avoid unwanted pregnancy, or how not to contract sexually transmitted infections. The questions changed a lot in the late 1990s, with the advent of porn sites. A week before my intervention, I always ask a professor to collect the questions in writing, anonymously. And teenagers often take advantage of this to let loose. I sometimes have questions like: is zoophilia normal? A 14-year-old does not have the critical thinking to take a step back from these violent images. Some establishments ask me to intervene a year earlier because they noticed collective blowjobs in 9th grade. Pornography teaches them this and parents need help to protect their children, and they know it.
They don't address the notion of consent?
Yes, but it's more information that I give them. I remind them that “giving in” does not mean “consenting.” They are receptive.
The Ministry of Education must publish its program, adapted to the maturity of the student. What should you say to children or teenagers?
Until puberty, it must above all be education in emotional life. Children must be made to understand that their body is theirs, no one has the right to touch it. Especially when washing yourself, at 5-6 years old. For pubescent teenagers, it must be about sexuality information. Concerning procreation, life and earth sciences courses are planned. But talking about sex from a physiological angle does not interest adolescents. They need to talk about gender identity, sexual orientation, pleasure, but also the risks and good behaviors to adopt.
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