"It´s the parent's responsibility, not the governments', to educate young people regarding affectivity and sexuality so as to enable them to be capable of loving when they reach adulthood", said Jokin de Irala, main investigator of the project  ‘Education of  human affectivity and sexuality' at the Institute for Culture and Society, in an interview given to Aceprensa.

This expert made this statement during the VI international Congress of the Provida Association, in which more than 1300 people participated from America and Europe. This Congress took place in Guayaquil, Ecuador on November 8-10.

Dr. De Irala, professor of preventive medicine and public health, said that the Government cannot take the place of parents in the education of young people regarding this issue. Many parents do not know how to approach this subject and/or do not feel capable of carrying out this task, but this does not mean that they should delegate this responsibility to the Government. The Government's job should be to provide civil associations that can train these parents so that they are then capable of taking in their responsibility. .

The danger of disinformation

This specialist pointed out that there are diverse perspectives regarding sexual education: in contrast to the eminently biological approach, which refers to letting oneself be carried away by impulses, we are proposing an education in which sexuality is seen as something very good but whose appropriate place is within the framework of totally guaranteed mature love, a preparation for loving.

With regard to the generalization of the former, this professor said that this is not only a question of ideology but rather, there are numerous economic interests involved: "It is well known that a youth with a weak character and lacking discipline, will succumb to consumerism".

He also referred to the problems that arise from disinformation: the term "safe sex" is not used in a number of countries because it could be considered misleading publicity, as it is scientifically false. When young people hear this term, they think that the use of condoms will protect them – to the same degree as abstinence- from the risk of an unexpected pregnancy or an infectious disease; this is not the case. Since they are not well-informed, they are not free to decide whether or not to have sexual relations.