By MELISSA ONG
brats@thestar.com.my

I was shocked to read the news of the three-year incestuous relationship between the father and daughter that made headlines recently. The part that worried me most was when she admitted to being a willing partner and that her father paid her for each intercourse.

The first thing that came to mind was that we desperately need better sex education.

Sex, to me, is the beautiful and intimate discourse between a couple that is in love and most importantly, committed to each other. It should involve love and responsibility.

As time goes by, however, the whole concept is changing. In today’s society, we hear far too many cases involving rape, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and so on.

It saddens me that something so pure has turned into a platform for so many social issues – all because we lack the knowledge and understanding to protect ourselves.

As a teenager, I know that talking about the birds and the bees (with adults) can be quite awkward. Even some adults would find it hard to put the concept into words.

But I believe it is extremely important for the youth to be taught on the basics and consequences of it. There is no point in making up funny tales of “picking you up from the longkang”. It shouldn’t be a taboo anymore. Why shouldn’t children learn – at an appropriate age – how they were conceived?

Keeping them in the dark will only cause more problems. They could develop dangerous misconceptions about sex, such as the idea that sex between a father and daughter is normal.

Although I don’t know the rationale behind the father-daughter affair, I was always raised with the notion that there is a boundary for every relationship. It scares me that the world has come to this.

Having said so, I do hope that the world can change for the better, and so society would finally open up to the topic of sex. Education and awareness doesn’t encourage sex, but it informs society and prepares them for the day they take on such responsibility. Well, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.

The writer is a member of the BRATs young journalist programme organised by R.AGE. To find out how you can be part of the programme, or to invite the BRATs to cover a story or event, email brats@thestar.com.my. For more info about the programme, go to facebook.com/starbrats.