Bangkok Sex Museum Exhibits Will Tour The Thai Provinces

[webfact]

CHALK TALK

Sex museum exhibits from Rangsit will tour the provinces also

By Chularat Saengpassa

The Nation

Like science classes, sex education has been one of the "blind spots" in the Thai education system. Due to limited funding, students in many science classes, particularly in remote areas, have never physically touched a beaker or glass tubes used in scientific experiments.

They learnt about the experiments from textbooks, and teachers would eventually recite the results provided in the teacher handbooks.

When you fail to get your hands on something, you can forget the direct experiences, let alone enthusiasm and creativity.

Sex education had been like that. Thirty years ago, it was part of a hygiene course and carried out mostly by sports teachers. Then, there was an assumption that sports teachers must be the best people to know about people's physiques and hormones.

Many young interns also remember how they were bullied or harassed by young students of the opposite sex.

While some students with sexual experience managed to outwit their teachers, other students were intimidated by such talks. At the end, they took little home in terms of knowledge, save for photos of sexual organs of the opposite sex.

There was a good joke about it. It could be because of lack of funding or the thinking that actual objects were too obscene, teachers used their fingers to show how to use condoms. This happened when Thailand had a push to control the birth rate, in a bid to ease poverty, particularly in poor families.

The kids told their parents what they learnt, and their fathers applied the knowledge. It became news later that a man complained about having many children, despite the fact he always used condoms while having sex�

Of course, he always wore his condoms on his fingers! (Groan).

Nowadays, Thais have much better knowledge about sex and condoms. But Thais' shyness means limited discussion on this issue. Inspired by movies, many teens decide to experiment sex without proper knowledge about safe sex. Many girls end up pregnant and have to leave school for an unknown future.

The Thai Health Organisation could be criticised for spending too little on many things, but one thing it should be commended for is the Bt5 million budget for a sex museum. Opened earlier this month as part of the Science Park in Rangsit, the museum - created in collaboration with UNESCO - is the first sex museum in Asia.

Indeed, the museum designer should be applauded. All the six zones are devoted to educate young and old people about sex and safe sex, under the theme "Healthy Sexuality: Story of Love".

Now, parents do not need to feel awkward when kids ask: "How I was conceived?" or "Why is my [private part] different from my brother's?"

Kids and parents in Thailand may be surprised to know that children in many western countries also need similar education, as prevention is easier than cure, as they say.

In Amsterdam, in the shipshaped museum named NEMO (http://www.enemo.nl/en/?id=1), children learn how they came into this world and what physical and mental changes they should anticipate.

At the museum, there are small handcrafted wood toys that perform different sex positions. A box of big lips stands, enticing kids to put their arms into the tube to touch the end of the other tube. With a tinge, they learnt what feeling a kiss could spark. At least, if they want to have physical experiences, they know something in advance and know what they should expect from their experimentation.

The Thai museum also presents enticing objects. Unfortunately, its exhibits in Bangkok, are expected to draw only 600,000 youngsters over a oneyear period. But another 300,000 are anticipated when the exhibition goes on the road to provincial schools.

That counts for only 10 per cent of about 12 million school students nationwide.

Indeed, much remains to be done. While this knowledge has to be extended to cover as many students as possible, it could also be extended to cover sexual etiquette. For example, female students should not be solely responsible for any mishaps from sexual relationships. Thais love to recite foreign friends' saying that "sex is a winwin", but they have no idea how a true winwin situation could be achieved. There are shortcuts in other sciences, when basics can be skipped to give more time to creativity. Maybe the same could apply with sex education.

-- The Nation 2010-08-30

[jybkk]

It is a very good thing that authorities realize that there is a need for education in this department.

However, I'm not sure such exhibitions are the best medium for it.

I visited the Science Museum in Rangsit few weeks ago and this exhibition was already displayed there. One could hardly call it a "museum" in itself.

It was quite attractive, with a bit of humor with two cartoon characters looking a bit embarrassed by their own questions, but was still quite shallow. The purpose is clearly to raise awareness and questions, unfortunately, no one was there to answer them, certainly not the teachers from the numerous visiting schools.

There's a lot of misinformation spread around Thailand about those subject. Sometimes by ignorance but many times on purpose, to support some views about morality. Ask thai women about contraceptive pill and many will tell you that they are very unhealthy, that there are long term side effects...which they can't name. Of course, they never heard that it has been proven to reduce risk of ovarian cancer.

I believe doctors have a great responsibility in that. They are very distant here, and that's definitely not a subject one would feel comfortable addressing these authority figures sitting on the other side of the desk and barely looking at you.

Most of Thai women, including the rich ones, have never met an gynecologist until they get pregnant.

I'm happy that the idea of informing Thais about their sexuality is not a taboo, but what is most needed is "experts" who can hold conference, classes or private meetings and answer people's questions directly.

[asiawatcher]

My god! Lack of funding? What the hel_l has that got to do with mums and dad's educating their kids? It comes back to educating the parents to not treat the subject as taboo!

Then you have teachers doing the politically correct thing teaching 'safe-sex'? Laughable. Then all this poppycock (no pun intended) about condoms and pregnancy? Why not teach the young girls about menstrual cycles and ovulation and when pregnancy can occur? My wife (educated with a Uni Degree or two) - never knew her body as many don't and that contributes more to pregnancy than any condom!

And a travelling museum! What are they showing? Mummified genitals? Give me strength....

[tomyummer]

What? A sex museum? Who needs that?! Just have your expat daddy take you to one of his 'petting zoos' on Nana, Cowboy, or Pat Pong. It's most likely free too. Or does the government not know that it exists? Where's that number to the Ministry of Education....or Culture...

I remember the anecdote when Khun Meechai introduced condoms to the community years ago and by example he put the condom on his thumb to show how it was to be worn. Some villagers came back to complain to him that the women were still getting pregnant and the condoms didn't work. Yep, they were putting the condoms on the thumb. Ahem....

On a more serious note, it is true that women in Thailand are not educated enough about their own bodies. Unlike in the western countries where when girls hit puberty and periods kick in, they are usually introduced to gynecologists or doctors for women. Here they are not. It's not until they're pregnant that they go to see the doctor.

[sirchai]

What? A sex museum? Who needs that?! Just have your expat daddy take you to one of his 'petting zoos' on Nana, Cowboy, or Pat Pong. It's most likely free too. Or does the government not know that it exists? Where's that number to the Ministry of Education....or Culture...

I remember the anecdote when Khun Meechai introduced condoms to the community years ago and by example he put the condom on his thumb to show how it was to be worn. Some villagers came back to complain to him that the women were still getting pregnant and the condoms didn't work. Yep, they were putting the condoms on the thumb. Ahem....

On a more serious note, it is true that women in Thailand are not educated enough about their own bodies. Unlike in the western countries where when girls hit puberty and periods kick in, they are usually introduced to gynecologists or doctors for women. Here they are not. It's not until they're pregnant that they go to see the doctor.

Or the doctor is making them pregnant with his condom on his thumb...

[unicornthree]

What? A sex museum? Who needs that?! Just have your expat daddy take you to one of his 'petting zoos' on Nana, Cowboy, or Pat Pong. It's most likely free too. Or does the government not know that it exists? Where's that number to the Ministry of Education....or Culture...

I remember the anecdote when Khun Meechai introduced condoms to the community years ago and by example he put the condom on his thumb to show how it was to be worn. Some villagers came back to complain to him that the women were still getting pregnant and the condoms didn't work. Yep, they were putting the condoms on the thumb. Ahem....

On a more serious note, it is true that women in Thailand are not educated enough about their own bodies. Unlike in the western countries where when girls hit puberty and periods kick in, they are usually introduced to gynecologists or doctors for women. Here they are not. It's not until they're pregnant that they go to see the doctor.

Or the doctor is making them pregnant with his condom on his thumb...

[moetownblues]

"Pricilla Queen of the Desert" Thai style...