Implement law that checkmates sexual abuse, LASU don tasks govt officials

Esther Taiwo

Government officials in-charge of sexuality have been tasked to be bold enough to implement the law on sexuality in order to checkmate the spread of sexual abuse.

Prof. Bidemi Idowu, the 69th inaugural lecturer of the Lagos State University (LASU), said this while delivering the lecture titled “Sexuality: The Savour, the Caution, the Pleasure” at the University Main Auditorium, Ojo, on Tuesday.

She also added that there should be policy formulation on sexuality to further strengthen the law on child abuse.

The Don noted that although sexuality seems complex, it is an ordained phenomenon to be enjoyed.

She said this is because for sex to be effective, it needs to include opportunities for young people to develop certain skills, as it could be difficult for them to act based on known information.

The skills young people develop as a part of sex education are linked to more general life skills and they include the following: Being able to communicate with, listen to, negotiate with others as well as asking for and identifying sources of help and advice are useful life- skills which can be to sexual relationships;

Being able to recognise pressures from other people and to resist them, dealing with and challenging prejudice; Being able to seek help from adults- including parents and professionals- through the family, community and health and welfare services.

According to her sex education that works also helps equip young people with the skills to be able to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information, and to discuss a range of moral and social issues and perspectives on sex and sexuality, including different cultural attitudes and sensitive issues like sexuality, abortion and contraception.

“Government should also make cervical cancer screening more affordable and accessible to young female adults as this will guarantee sexual wellbeing,” she added,

while suggesting that the Counseling Unit of the University should be expanded beyond career and academic matters to include issues encompassing family life and sexuality.

Prof Idowu said it is important that individuals take responsibilities for their health and not ascribe complex factors to ill health stressing that the issue of sexuality should be made a priority among staff and students in the University as it does not concern only rape but is all encompassing and would be an exceptional way to develop life skills in students.

“It is pertinent to note that the return of cultural and moral values of the 50s, 60s, 70s and even of the 80s in relation to sexuality is important.

As vital as the institution of marriage is, it requires adequate preparation and should be subjected to proper counseling and training as we do when entering a new employment”, she said.

According to the Professor of Health Education at the department of Human Kinetics, her research efforts over the years have revealed that there are still some myths and misconceptions about sexuality, saying however, sexuality is pleasant to savour but requires some cautions before the pleasure could be derived.

She described sexuality orientation as a combination of emotional, romantic, sexual or affectionate attraction to another person, in other words, it is about who you are attracted to; fall in love with; and want to live your life with.

Idowu explained that sexuality in many cases leads to parenthood which is the state of being a parent and taking the responsibilities adding that being a parent is often described as the hardest, yet most rewarding, experience a person could have.

The inaugural lecturer said for a marriage to be healthy, after satisfying all the religious injunctions, the following ingrifients are essential: Love/ Commitment. At its core, love is a decision to be committed to another person, Sexual Faithfulness, Humility*

Other ingredients are: Patience/ Forgiveness, Honesty and Trust, Communication.

She defined sexual fantasy as one of the cautions of sexuality as perversion can ruin one’s life if not avoided.

In her words “A sexual fantasy or erotic fantasy is a mental image or pattern of thought that stirs a person’s sexuality and this can create or enhance sexual desires.

A sexual fantasy can be created by the person’s imagination or memory, and this may be triggered autonomously or by external stimulation such as erotic literature or pornography, a physical object, or sexual arousal may also produce a sexual fantasy, and sexual arousal may in turn gives rise to fantasies.