Why Sri Lanka Still Fumbles Sex Ed

And What That's Doing to Our Youth

- RIHAAB MOWLANA

It's not often that a piece of latex makes national headlines. But Sri Lanka is once again debating whether condom use belongs in classrooms, with the Ministry of Health pushing for change, the National Institute of Education (NIE) drafting updates to the Grade 10 science textbook, and the Ministry of Education holding back, citing "broader reforms." While some media reports have described this as a tug-of-war between ministries, the Education side hasn't formally rejected the proposal. What we do know for certain is this: the Health Ministry is calling for condoms, PrEP, and PEP to be included in science lessons, arguing that vague references to "responsible sexual behaviour" are not enough. Behind the policy wrangling lies a much bigger issue, one that has less to do with latex and everything to do with how we treat our youth.

What the Numbers Say

The 2024 Global School Health Survey (GSHS) should be a wake-up call. It found that only 63% of Sri Lankan students had even heard of HIV/AIDS, down from 77% in 2016. Even more troubling, the proportion of students taught about HIV prevention in schools fell from 67.1% in 2016 to 44.2% in 2024.

The same survey revealed that 4.6% of students reported having engaged in sexual activity. On the surface, it looks like a small number. But in a country where sex remains taboo in classrooms, every percentage point represents thousands of young people trying to navigate intimacy without proper guidance.

This problem doesn't disappear with age. The Sri Lanka National Youth Health Survey (2012-13) found that nearly half of the youth lacked basic sexual and reproductive health knowledge. Only 14.7% of young people reported being sexually active, but among those who were, just 30.4% had used condoms in the past year.